Fullmetal Jedi: Path of Darkness
by StephenMcTowelie
Summary: Stricken by grief over the loss of Padme, Anakin, now Darth Vader discovers the consequences of human transmutation. After coming face to face with his Truth will the Dark Lord of the Sith return to the light in Amestris or will he plunge the Elrics and their world into the darkness as well? Rated T for fantasy violence and language. Chapter 15 complete.
1. Chapter 1: A Universal Taboo

_Author's note: This is one of two versions of a Star Wars/FMAB crossover I have going. The other one was set between Episode VI and VII of Star Wars and during the final battle of FMAB when Ed sacrificed his Gate of Truth and had Luke and Ed swapping places. (I may post the other one if I have time to fill in the gaps and clean it up - right now it only exists in fragmentary form.) This one is taking the dark path since the motivations involved seemed to make more sense. It is set just after Episode III of Star Wars and during the episode "Father" of FMAB. Given that it is a crossover it will have a considerable AU slant to it in order to make it work. Since I have several stories going on at once and little free time to actually work on them the updates (sans Ch. 2 which is close to being done) will likely be slow at first. (I haven't been writing for long but I've learned that I drag ass and make a ton of hasty mistakes in the first ten or so chapters of anything I attempt) That being said this will probably be revised several times as I go along. Any constructive criticism or feedback is appreciated._

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Chapter I: A Universal Taboo

Anakin Skywalker, having recently taken up the Sith name of Darth Vader stood in the main hangar bay of the Victory Class Star Destroyer _Subjugator_ as a shuttle carrying precious cargo from a recent raid against the newly formed Alliance to Restore the Republic, a terrorist group who opposed the reforms authored by Emperor Palpatine, made it's landing in front of him. Once it had landed and powered down the landing ramp to the shuttle was extended and a platoon of clone troopers and Imperial officers marched out to meet Lord Vader.

"My Lord, my men have found Lady Amidala and brought her here as requested." the commander of the clone troopers reported.

"Show her to me." Vader ordered his voice stern and stoic from behind the cold indifferent stare of his obsidian black armored breathing helmet.

The commander and his escorts parted to the left and the right making way for two clone troopers carefully carrying the lifeless body of Padme Amidala. The clone troopers carefully approached the Sith Lord laid down the body at his feet before moving away. Unknown to his minions trembling before the dark lord Vader might have well been crying beneath his mask. His sorrow, his anger, his passion and his guilt burned within him upon seeing his love who had been slain by his own hand lying there before him. He had told himself it was Obi-Wan's trickery that had been the cause of her death, that if she hadn't believed his lies that she would still be alive and by his side today. Vader's remorse burned within him rising into anger over his inability to save her. He cursed Obi-wan and swore to destroy him for what he had done. In the midst of being consumed by passions Vader had a moment of enlightenment.

Vader ordered his men to take the body and place it into suspended animation while he returned to the bridge.

"Set a course back to Coruscant; I must speak to the Emperor." Vader ordered the starship captain.

"Right away my lord." the captain replied then turned to relay the orders to the crew.

Upon Coruscant Darth Vader and the Emperor convened in what had been the Jedi Temple, now converted into a sanctum for Palpatine's dark indulgences. They looked out over the vast holographic display showing the sectors now under the Empire's control along the location and strength of their many battle fleets. The Emperor felt pleased in having attained the preeminent position of power in the galaxy. The Jedi had fallen, now the Sith would once again reign supreme.

"Soon the galaxy will belong to us." the Emperor declared.

"Indeed my Master." Vader replied.

"Something troubles you, I can sense it." Palpatine broke the silence between the two of them.

"My Master, you had once told me of an ancient Sith ritual that could restore the dead to life."

"You speak of Queen Amidala do you not?" Palpatine asked.

"Yes Master. Can it be done? Is there a way to bring her back to me?" Vader inquired.

"Yes, I remember. It is no trifling matter however; the consequences can be most dire even for one so adept as myself. So much so that no Sith Lord has attempted this ritual for over a thousand years."

"I will attempt it Master. Show me how." Vader demanded.

"You are indeed powerful but your training is not yet complete." the Emperor replied.

"I have trained on the Jedi path before you have shown me the power of the Dark Side. My training allows me to wield their powers as well as yours Master. Let us not forget I am the one prophesied to bring balance to the Force. My powers are unparalleled; where others have failed I shall succeed." Vader arrogantly declared.

"Good, good. Your arrogance is strong. With such faith perhaps it can be done. I am confident that in time you will become the greatest Sith lord that has ever lived and together we will rule the galaxy for ten thousand years." Palpatine praised Vader to his surprise.

"Very well, I will show you. We leave for the Lost Sith Temple at once." Palpatine announced.

The Emperor had his own motivation for conceding to Vader's request. If Vader could successfully resurrect Queen Amidala than he would have the power to grant him immortality, something which the Emperor could not do himself. No Sith Lord would ever bestow such a powerful gift upon another yet Vader was completely under the Emperor's thumb and in fact would in the end make Palpatine the greatest Sith Lord that ever lived. His Empire would see no end and his reign would endure forever.

In the company of immense Imperial fleet Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine reached the ancient Sith Temple on a lifeless world bathed in the perpetual twilight of the remnants of three dead suns. They took a single shuttle down to the desolate surface of the blood red world along with a contingent of the Emperor's finest guards. They landed on a square stone slab outside an elaborate ominous structure said to be older than the Republic. A narrow walkway lined with decaying columns extended from the slab courtyard into the temple itself. The structure before them was a four sided pyramid with the top cut off and four open trapezoidal portals near the top which allowed in the dim red light from two of the three stars that hung low in the sky in perpetuity. There was strange writing adorning the surface of the structure, writing that even Palpatine couldn't recognize. There was no wind on this world, not even a breeze. The suns did not seem to move in the sky, one hung low on the horizon while the other was slightly above it on the other side of the sky. This world knew not day or night. It always remained locked in a sullen somber sunset. This world was geologically dead as well. No wind, no life, no water, no shifting of the ground beneath them, nothing to disturb the temple that sat untouched on this far distant world for millennia.

"This is where my master, Darth Plagueis had intended to go to further his studies into how to conquer death. He had great power and could extend the life of those he cared most about, staving off death indefinitely but never attained the ability to recall one's spirit lost to the living Force. He had told me before his own passing about this place and that in the distant forgotten past that one greater than he had indeed achieved this feat and her knowledge was contained within the walls you see before us." Palpatine told Vader.

He left out the part where he had slain his master in his sleep prior to undertaking the journey that would have made Darth Plagueis immortal if it had all gone to plan. This plan had now befallen to his apprentice, and his apprentice, now the master would lead his own pupil into performing the ritual which would grant him an eternal reign.

The elite guards carried Padme's body into the temple behind Vader and the Emperor. Once inside the Emperor directed that the body be placed atop a large stone circle at the center of the inner chamber where the light from both stars converged on an intricate pattern carved into the stone circle.

"There you are Lord Vader. The way has been prepared. All that remains is for you is to channel the Force within you through the circle and into the very heart of the Living Force which has stolen Queen Amidala from you. Use all your grief, your suffering and your anger, concentrate your feelings and let the strength of your passion flow through you." Palpatine informed Vader.

The Emperor had spent years of study here amidst his political machinations learning where Darth Plagueis had left off. He had completed the inscriptions on the circle that were lacking and ensured all the necessary alignments had been made. All that remained is for one of such great power as Darth Vader, the one chosen by the Force, to activate it.

Vader did as his master commanded and ascended the long narrow steps leading to the stone circle. There he knelt down and placed his hands upon the circle and channeled his energies with all of his ability. The circle glowed brightly as it was actuated and intensified as Vader concentrated his will through it. The whole of the circle manifested itself into a solid disc of light so bright that the entire temple was bathed in its radiance. Suddenly what appeared to be an eye manifested itself at the center of the radiant circle and consumed the body of Padme Amidala. Ten thousand tiny shadowy hands reached out swaying like grass in the wind. The hands stiffened up and stretched to the roof of the temple. They then collapsed downwards and folded upon Vader dragging him into an unseen dimension beneath the brilliant glowing circle beneath him. As quickly as it had appeared the incredible display of ethereal power was over. Upon the ancient stone circle both Vader and Padme had vanished much to the Emperor's dismay. In their place was a strange humanoid creature kneeling and looking down with its arms covering its head. In appearance it was constructed of a murky black viscous substance, like oil or tar with eyes and mouths of grimacing bared teeth all over its body. On its head the eyes and teeth were most clearly arranged in a familiar position to resemble that of a cyclops.

The Homunculus had lost its outer skin as it had passed through the gate and emerged here. What was most baffling to it was that it had performed no such transmutation that would have opened the gate and drawn it through. He had been in his domain beneath Central facing down the peculiar offspring of his doppelganger Von Hohenheim of whom he had just been introduced to by his own spawn, Envy and Gluttony, when all of the sudden he was ripped from his world and pulled into this one. His power seemed diminished in this place; the potency of the philosopher's stone which he was imbued with was lessened here though he felt a strong attraction to a great power residing outside himself.

The Emperor gazed up at the being which now stood in the place of his most powerful disciple. At first he assumed the deformed monster was in fact Vader reconstituted as a living entity apart from his cybernetic life support suit. Had Vader in fact immortalized himself? Such was heresy; it was indeed by all reckoning, impossible. The Emperor soon realized that it was not Vader that stood before him but rather something different. A smile crossed the Emperor's face as he sensed immense Force sensitivity within this enigmatic being. Devious plans began forming in the aged despot's mind. He felt no sorrow for the loss of Darth Vader, only ambition for his own dark designs. Indeed the Emperor had lost the instrument of his ascension, his greatest disciple. In his place was one potentially more powerful; all Palpatine needed to do was to bend this creature to his will and he would have lost nothing. Immortality and absolute control over the galaxy would be his for all time.


	2. Chapter 2: Our Dark Father's Truth

Chapter II: Our Dark Father's Truth

Vader stood in a white formless void unsure of exactly how he got there. In front of him he was the visage of his own form but incomplete, having the shape of his being but no detail or features to it whatsoever. Furthermore it was the shape of his true being, of Anakin Skywalker, not that of the cybernetic monstrosity known as Darth Vader. Vader wheeled around to see that behind him was an enormous door of sorts, composed of two monolithic slabs which when combined formed patterns and inscriptions like a diagram to the secrets of the universe. Vader turned back to the mysterious being seated in front of him. The being smiled wide and stood up.

"Who are you?" Vader asked.

"I am the World, I am the Universe, I am Truth, some may call me God, others call me the Force, I am all and I am one, and I am also, you." the enigmatic entity said in high pitched distortion of Vader's own voice.

"You have knocked upon the door and now the door is open. I will show you the truth." the figure said.

With those final words the titanic gate behind Vader opened, the monolithic slabs parting to the right and to the left. Without warning a giant eye opened from beyond the gate and the same shadowy hands that had brought Vader to this luminous plane once again reached out and dragged him inside the door. Vader resisted with all his physical might to no avail; the innumerable hands had drawn him into the blackness and the Gate shut firmly behind him.

After being violently upchucked by Gluttony Edward and Alphonse Elric were once again reunited before a stoic figure dressed in white robes. The man bore an uncanny resemblance to their father who had abandoned them when they were small children. If he was their father then he had aged terribly since they last had met. After he healed the Elric brothers' wounds and introduced himself it became apparent that this man was not their father. The Homunculi appeared to defer to his commands, even Envy who would like nothing better than to destroy the petty humans in their midst.

"Who is this guy and why does he look like my father?" Edward Elric asked himself while staring down the enigmatic leader of the Homunculi in the sewers beneath Central City. Before an answer could even be attempted to that question an unexplained Portal of Truth opened up above the white robed figure and dragged him in.

"Father, no! What is happening?!" Gluttony squealed.

Gluttony tried to come to Father's aid but collapsed in exhaustion having just vomited the motherlode from deep within his bowels. Meanwhile Envy recoiled away from the gate while Ed, Al, and Ling shielded their eyes from the blinding flash that followed when the Gate closed.

"How did that happen brother? No one performed human transmutation did they?" Alphonse asked.

"Not that I saw. That means there has to be another way to open those things." Edward replied.

When they looked back at the place where Father had once stood there knelt a new man with his head bowed down and his arms crossed in front of his face. He who had been once clothed in white robes reminiscent of a sullied attempt at enlightened purity was now clad in a black armored suit reflecting the darkness within his soul. Vader staggered forward as he tried to get up. He reached down and caught himself before he fell. Vader looked up and rose to his feet, breathing heavily. Who were these people and creatures that surrounded him? He was not in the ancient Sith Temple on the Galactic Fringe. He was in some primitive subterranean structure composed on concrete and stone masonry and rigged with pipes and flexible tubes coming out of the walls and floor. These tubes converged into a chair, a throne of stone and steel behind Vader. There was an intricate construction of enlarged clockwork and machinery around him as well, making this dungeon feel more than an antiquated factory. What more his sense of disorientation about his surroundings was eclipsed by his lack of understand of how he had got here. He did not remember why he had gone to the Sith Temple and what he and Palpatine were doing that resulted in him being in this dungeon keeping company with men and monsters. He had lost all memories of her; all knowledge of Padme Amidala had been taken from him. The impetus that had driven him to the dark side, the source of his anger, his resentment and his unconquerable grief was gone, lost to the mysteries within the Gate. Along with it he shed the fond memories, the friendship, the constant companion of his youth, and the love which he shared for the nubile Regine. The prime mover for his hate was removed but his hate nonetheless still burned, he retained a hatred of Obi-wan and the Jedi though he knew not why. This kept him tethered to the dark side but not completely for in blank, emotionless rationale he could return to his center. He was one who had become Gray; not a Jedi nor a Sith but a Dark Lord who could also stand in the Light. He could still sense the Force in this place but it was different in a way he could not quite describe. The pulse of this planet vibrated in a different rhythm than that which permeated his home galaxy. He felt its energies pulse through him as if he was at the very center of it all.

Edward, still possessed with rage assumed the black figure to be another form of the Homunculi's father and struck out with his alchemy sending a wave of stone pillars in Vader's direction. With nothing more than a glance in Edward's direction Vader shattered the pillars with his thoughts. He then extended his arm and psychically lifted Ed up into the air and started to choke the life from him.

"Brother!" Alphonse shouted as he charged towards Vader.

Alphonse sent two stone missiles towards Vader as he ran. Both of them were effortlessly deflected and as Alphonse was about to land a punch on the top of Vader's helmet the Dark lord willed the iron giant away tossing him into the far wall with such force his armor became undone. Alphonse laid in pieces upon the floor as May Chang and Scar burst onto the scene. Vader released Edward and turned towards the newcomers. Edward caught his breath while Scar informed May Chang that her presumptions about the identity of the Fullmetal Alchemist were wrong. Vader curiously watched as Chang and Edward exchanged insults.

"I tire of this." Envy said moving his massive reptilian form to pin Edward down beneath his paw.

"You want to know what happened in Ishbal? It was this one on top of me, the homunculus who changes his face, posing as a soldier who shot that girl and started the whole war!" Edward shouted to Scar hoping to draw him into the fight.

"Is this true?" Scar asked, seething with rage.

"Of course. How pathetic you look, don't you know you can do nothing about it?" Envy derided Scar taking all the credit for the extermination of the Ishballan people.

"Can I eat him Father, can I?" Gluttony eagerly asked Vader, also supposing him to be the transmutation of their master.

"Go ahead." Envy authorized his overzealous sibling after Vader returned no response.

Ignoring the others May Chang shouted her displeasure at Edward and attacked both him and Envy with a massive burst of earth alkahestry. Scar then charged to meet Gluttony and planted his destructive palm upon the forehead of the voracious fiend. Scar's energy was channeled into Gluttony, effectively destroying him and sending the monster's broken body flying backwards into a slumped pile upon the ground. As Gluttony regenerated, Edward and Envy battled fiercely with each other. Edward pummeled Envy with alchemical attacks while the great green beast used his size and strength to strike back.

"Stand still Fullmetal pipsqueak!" Envy growled as Edward continued to nimbly dodge his attacks and spawn more stalagmites to impale the foul creature.

"Don't you dare call me a pipsqueak!" Edward shouted infuriated at the comment.

His rage incited him to throw a greater intensity of offense towards Envy which ended up pinning the creature against the ceiling.

"Hey, brother, a little help please?" Alphonse asked.

"Coming right away Al!" Edward called back and ran towards his disassembled brother.

Envy broke through the spikes holding him against the ceiling and regenerated on his way down landing with an earthshattering thud and a swipe of his tail that stopped Edward from reaching his brother. While Ed re-engaged Envy May Chang sprinted to Alphonse's aid, seeing him as more of a fullmetal alchemist than his brother. She reassembled Alphonse piece by piece as she made small talk with him concerning the state he was in.

"So you lost your entire body, oh my that's terrible!" May Chang cried in sympathy for the body.

Edward may have been a pint sized sham to her but this brother may in fact be her real Amestrian dream boy May Chang gleefully thought as she put the metal man back together.

"I sure hope you find a way to get your body back." May Chang said while putting the finishing touches on Alphonse's armor.

"So do I." Alphonse replied.

"A little help over here Al?" Edward shouted upon seeing his brother back in fighting form.

"If you would excuse me I've got to go help my brother." Alphonse politely told May Chang.

"Go! Go help your little brother!" May Chang encouraged him.

"For the last time he is the little brother!" Edward shouted angrily back at May Chang before Envy lashed him with his tongue.

Alphonse charged and vaulted himself towards the side of Envy's face slamming into the monster with all his weight. The force knocked Envy's head to the side and loosened the grip which Envy had wrapped his tongue around Edward with allowing the older, yet smaller brother to escape and launch a few alchemical missiles into the eyes of the foul beast.

"But you're the little one!" May Chang called back as she threw her kunai onto the ground beneath Envy.

She channeled her alkahestry and once more launched Envy into the air where two pairs of twin spears generated by Ed and Al pierced through the green creature's sides.

"Who are you calling little!" Edward fumed.

Once again he turned to taking out his rage on Envy by recombining the broken stones on the ground into one solid sphere and shooting it into the gaping maw of the monster. Meanwhile Scar repeatedly blasted apart Gluttony who now was screaming for mercy. Curiously Vader looked on at the melee before him. Apparently the monsters were fighting on his behalf while the others had declared themselves to be his enemies. He himself felt no allegiance to either side; all were inconsequential variables at the moment. He still didn't know where he was or why he was here. His purpose remained elsewhere, with his master; they had much work to do to reshape the Galaxy in their image. Then it struck him, his darkness once more poked its way through Lord Vader's new gray incarnation. In true Sith fashion the desire for absolute power proved too much; here he had no master, here he was the master. While not the endless legions of stormtroopers and starships he once commanded these monsters were quite powerful; never had he seen mortal creatures take such punishment. If there were more of these beasts he could conquer this world and with its resources he could construct his own armada to extend an Empire of his own out unto this galaxy. He remembered the Emperor had spoken of immortality though Vader was not certain of the context which it was discussed for his memories and motives had been erased. Observing the regenerative abilities of the homunculi Vader deduced they possessed abilities similar to the famed Darth Plagueis to stave off the hand of death. Vader assembled the fragments of logic that remained with him together in his mind and came to the conclusion that it was for immortality that he had come here and that these creatures, whatever they were knew the secret for attaining it. As the battle played out before him all the while Ling thought he was being clever in sneaking up behind Lord Vader but before he could stab the dark lord in the back Ling's hands were frozen in place.

"Do you think it would be that easy to kill me?" Vader taunted Ling.

With the force of his will Vader flung Ling away from him. Ling rolled onto the ground, hurt more than before, wincing in pain and unable to fight.

"Ling!" Edward shouted and broke away from Envy to come to Ling's aid.

A column of stone vaulted out from beneath Edward's feet and sent him upwards. Only by jumping at the last minute onto Envy's back was he able to avoid being crushed.

"That alchemy, it had come from him! He didn't even have to move his hands!" Edward said in astonishment looking towards Vader.

May Chang sensed that Vader's power more closely resembled her own alkahestry rather than Amestrian alchemy yet it was distinctly different from them both. Alphonse continued to keep Envy occupied while a badly wounded Gluttony was left sparking and shaking on the ground by Scar. Scar then turned his attention towards Envy allowing Edward the chance he needed to rescue Ling.

"Al, let's get out of here!" Edward shouted back after scooping up a broken Ling in his arms.

Alphonse turned and retreated, taking May Chang by the hand as they all abandoned Scar to deal with Envy alone.

"Let me go!" May Chang protested.

"We have to get you out of here! Those things are homunculi! They're too powerful!" Alphonse told her.

"What about Mr. Scar? We can't leave him!" the girl clamored in her squeaky little voice.

"He killed Winry's parents! Forget him!" Edward snarled.

"You're awfully an awfully mean midget Edward Elric!" May Young shouted.

"What did you just say!?" Edward turned back and growled.

"Brother!" Alphonse called out, diverting Ed's attention away from the young girl.

"What?" Ed responded.

He then turned around to see a veritable horde of chimeras in front of them.

"Oh, that." Edward remarked as his heart sank beneath his chest.

Meanwhile Scar sensed he was abandoned and taking on Envy alone proved to be more difficult than it looked. A solid swipe of the tail knocked Scar into the wall near the exit to the inner chamber of the Amestrian underground. Scar, bruised and beaten knew it was time to flee. He would have his revenge, but not today. Envy changed into his more comfortable human form and started to pursue Scar but was stopped by a command from Darth Vader.

"Wait. Let him go. I have no need for him." Vader commanded.

He spoke enough like Father to still be him further reinforcing Envy's belief that this was a transmutation of the one Homunculus that spawned him and his brethren. Believing this Envy obeyed and Scar was permitted to escape, only to soon run into the horrors which the Elrics were facing down at this very moment. Darth Vader walked back and took a seat upon the throne. He felt a new power surging through him. Immortality was close at hand he felt, but not for Palpatine, no immortality would be his and his alone.


	3. Chapter 3: Dueling Egos

Chapter III: Dueling Egos

The homunculus rose to its feet and looked curiously around its new surroundings. This twilight world lit by the embers of three suns was not his own. How had the gate sent him here? He recalled not how he passed through the portal nor an encounter with the being he called "god" only that he was in his domain beneath Central one moment and on this alien world the next. Furthermore how could a Gate have drawn him in without him opening it in the first place; for that matter how could such a Gate have the power to draw him back in the first place. He would never go beyond the Gate again. After all he had done to ensure his continued existence in the physical plane he would not be so foolish to risk being returned to the void, not when his schemes were so close to being perfected, not when he was on the cusp of obtaining immeasurable power granting him all the knowledge in the universe. He wanted to become god, nothing less. How exactly would that be obtained here, away from his designs in a place where the laws of alchemy and the force behind it did not seem to exist? The Homunculus attempted some basic transmutations by exerting his will on broken fragments of stone scattered throughout the temple. He could levitate the stones and draw them together but had extreme difficulty fashioning them into something else from their constituent elements. He seemed limited in such a way that the stone within him did not seem to confer any value apart from sustaining his physical form. For the first time in many years had something angered the homunculus.

"Why can't I transmute?" growled the Homunculus.

"Intriguing." the Emperor mused.

Lost in the depths of his thoughts the Homunculus did not even notice the Emperor, his elite guards and a handful of stormtroopers in the inner chamber with him. So much so was his self-absorption that he didn't even notice when he was being spoken to.

"I sense what you are trying to accomplish. To rearrange substances on the atomic level certainly is possible but it is out of the purview of the average Force sensitive individual." the Emperor said and received no response.

The Emperor himself had great knowledge of the forbidden lore of Sith Alchemy which he had learned from Darth Plagueis who was renown in the art. It was believed that Vader was partially restored using this art and by which the Emperor falsely believed he was permanently bound to his will.

"You possess great power but you lack skill with the Force. Perhaps I can show you if you come with me and become my disciple." the Emperor offered.

This the Homunculus heard and perceived it as a direct affront to his vanity. While he had purged his pride to create the strongest of his children the impulse was still very much a potent part of him. Beneath the stoic unconcerned exterior pride remained an intrinsic part of his being, without it he simply would not be the entity he was; the Homunculus' arrogance could not be purged anymore that he could create a squared circle.

Meanwhile he was getting better at fashioning the stone into different shapes but could not reorganize the atoms within the stone to produce say a sword from the iron within. It was a different set of rules he was playing by here nonetheless the creature was a quick study. Upon recognizing the strength of the Force lay outside himself rather than primarily within as he was used to when drawing on the power of his Philosopher's stone the Homunculus was quickly learning the first of several Force abilities that he would in time discover.

"I am no one's disciple, least of all a puny human germ such as yourself." the Homunculus rebuked Palpatine in a cold emotionless voice.

"Such arrogance does not befit you. You desire power, I can give it to you but first you must learn to call me Master." the Emperor offered again.

"Heh, the worm beneath my feet demands that I bow and worship it. Do you not know how preposterous that sounds!" laughed the Homunculus and with that he launched the stone, fashioned into the shape of a spike towards the Emperor.

With an effortless swat of his right hand the Emperor used the Force to deflect the stone and shatter it against the wall of the temple. The Emperor's two most elite guards, belonging to an order known as the Emperor's Hand sidestepped in front of the Emperor from the right and the left, drawing their red lightsabers and standing ready for battle. On the left was Sar Fortunis a tall, lithe man and on the right was Selene an intimidating, yet seductive raven haired woman.

"Is that supposed to impress me?" the Homunculus chuckled.

He formed two more spheres out of the dust, compacted them and hardened them until they were like cannonballs and lobbed them towards the Emperor's minions. The two Hands of the Emperor sliced through and deflected the spheres with their lightsabers and proceeded to charge the Homunculus.

"I want him alive." Palpatine warned them.

The first up the stairs was Sar Fortunis who with an overhead blow intended to remove one of the Homunculus' arms. The Emperor only said the being had to be alive, not that all the creature's limbs had to be intact. The limbs could be replaced once the haughty homunculus learned some humility. Before the blade could sever the Homunculus' shoulder a wall of red crackling energy like lightning came upon Sar Fortunis, singeing his body and sending him tumbling backwards off the high point of the temple. At least that trick still worked thought the Homunculus with a wide grin. Fortunis landed with a thud on the ground below and while he got up and dusted himself off Selene struck at the Homunculus with similar results. Selene was knocked back with a more potent discharge and landed at the Emperor's feet. Within seconds the Homunculus had leapt down from the altar and landed behind Palpatine. His attempt to fry the Emperor with the red energies of his stone was counteracted by Palpatine's swift use of Force Lightning against him. The two dueling energies produced a storm of power which pushed the two combatants apart. Selene got up and came to the aid of her master charging towards the left side of the Homunculus only to have the Homunculus turn part of its immense energy into a single bolt which pierced her chest just below the right shoulder and sent her flying backwards. At the same time the diversion of his full strength away from Palpatine allowed the Emperor to zap him with just enough Force Lightning to push the homunculus against the outer wall of the sanctum and hold him there.

"Selene, go. I have no further use for you here." the Emperor commanded her.

"I cannot have you perish from my side just yet. You will see to your daughter, train her from infancy in the Jedi arts and see to it that she becomes my Hand in your stead once your time has been appointed to you. Mara Jade is, important to me." the Emperor reiterated.

While she was a competent fighter Selene's greatest strength was as a teacher and master of the arts needed to do well as a member the Emperor's Hand. She was tasked with preparing the next generation to serve at the Emperor's side as his enemies were brought low and the galaxy restored to heights of greatness unimaginable. Now Selene was not the infant Mara Jade's mother, rather she was a caretaker. Mara Jade had been taken from her parents shortly after birth when she was recognized to be extremely Force sensitive and placed under the auspices of Palpatine himself. While the Jedi order had to be expunged it did not mean that all Force sensitive individuals would be exterminated; only those who did not bend to the Emperor's will. Conversely the Emperor desired great power for those who most closely and loyally serve him as protectors and enforcers of his will.

Selene fled the temple and returned to the shuttle while Sar Fortunis waited for orders. Fortunis and the stormtroopers watched as the Homunculus' knees buckled as Force lightning crackled and popped all around it. The Emperor dealt the creature pain but took great care not to mortally wound it. If only the Emperor knew how hardy of a creature he was dealing with he would not have held back. When he relented even for a moment the Homunculus used that opportunity to strike back with a resurgent charge of his own power. It was not enough to strike Palpatine directly but freed the Homunculus from his grip.

When released the Homunculus raced with nimble precision towards a group of stormtroopers. He was targeting the weakest of the frail humans in the room. As the Emperor turned his attention to the Homunculus the creature took the heads of two stormtroopers one in each hand, caught completely off guard by the speed which the Homunculus had reached them. A surge of red energy radiated across the stormtroopers' bodies and soon after their empty armor fell limp to the ground. In doing so the Homunculus had restored a miniscule portion of the potency of his philosopher's stone. He proceeded to do the same to all the other stormtroopers while the Emperor curiously looked on. Fortunis charged at the Homunculus who now had the ability to force his own energy blade from his fingertips and parry the strikes which Fortunis made at him before getting bored and sending Fortunis tumbling backwards. Recognizing the creature had been made stronger the Emperor once again shot out Force Lightning to hold it in place while reinforcements arrived in the sanctum.

"We have a situation on the surface. We need to move the Emperor to safety. Send in two squads to cover us." the commander of the newly arrived stormtroopers radioed back to the fleet in orbit.

"By your leave my Lord. We stand ready." the commander turned to the Emperor and awaited his command.

While the Emperor and the Homunculus exchanged energies in a back and forth tug of war the stormtroopers set up with a pair of blaster cannons mounted on a tripod. When the Emperor was knocked back, tumbling over by a sudden surge from the Homunculus the stormtroopers opened fire. Each blast that hit triggered an aura of reddish white energy that caused nearly immediate regeneration of the damage done to the creature. The Homunculus turned now towards these stormtroopers, fresh meat to feed its appetite. Meanwhile Fortunis ran to the Emperor's aid and helped him back to his feet.

"My liege we have to get you out of here." Fortunis insisted.

"Very well. I will leave this mighty fool to his folly. Perhaps he will reconsider after spending a few years on this desolate rock." the Emperor reluctantly conceded while noticing his stormtroopers being dispatched and absorbed by the creature one by one.

A fresh squad of stormtroopers arrived from the shuttle as Fortunis and the Emperor made their escape. These stormtroopers were mere cannon fodder and their absorption into the Homunculus only bought time for the Emperor to reach the shuttle which stood ready for immediate departure. As Palpatine reached the top of the ramp leading into the shuttle's hold the Homunculus casually walked across the narrow stone causeway between the Temple and the shuttle. The handful of elite guards on board opened fire with blasters that had no more effect on the creature than those of the stormtroopers before them. A pair of TIE fighters dropped down out of orbit and flew towards the causeway as the Homunculus continued his nonchalant pace. The Emperor was unafraid and in fact quite amused. Seeing the creature constantly regenerate no matter how much damage was dealt to it further instilled the belief that this was the key to immortality Palpatine was seeking. He only had to first find the power to bend something so powerful to his will. The homunculus had been defiant but truth be told he had not come to this world expecting to do battle with such a foe. The next time the two of them met the Emperor would arrive with a stacked deck in his favor; until then the Homunculus would have time to sit and think about what he had done and what options he truly had. The way Palpatine saw it the creature had but one option, bow before him and grant him the immortal reign he so desired.

"Perhaps you will reconsider my offer as you rot here for the next thousand years. You will serve me, or you will die." Palpatine condemned the Homunculus before the shuttle doors began to close.

The TIE fighters swooped in and blasted a gap in the causeway between the homunculus and the shuttle allowing the shuttle time to take off as the homunculus paused for a moment before leaping the chasm. As the shuttle lifted off the TIEs made another pass, this time targeting the Homunculus directly, hitting multiple times. One could not see what happened to the Homunculus behind the smoke and dust that billowed out from where the causeway collapsed beneath him. Both homunculus and the ground he stood on plummeted into the chasm and landed with a crash that knocked up a plume of thick dust which had been undisturbed for ages. Beneath a pile of stone rubble at the base of a deep chasm beneath the causeway a reddish glow radiated from beneath the debris, coursing with power as the Homunculus regenerated.

The TIE fighters escorted the shuttle back to the Emperor's flagship where he returned to his onboard throne, without Vader or his replacement. Though the thought was appealing amidst Palpatine's anger over his own failure on the surface the Emperor was unwilling to command his Star Destroyers to fire upon the surface of the planet out of reverence for the ancient masters. This world was sacred to the Sith, though they had abandoned it millennia ago. Thus the homunculus was left trapped on the surface of this dead forgotten world until the Emperor decided it was time for return, or so he believed.

 _ **Author's Note:** I altered the chronology a bit to be able to include Mara Jade in the story so instead of her being 2 years younger than Luke she will be roughly the same age if not slightly older. This will come into play if and when I get around to posting the Light Path._


	4. Chapter 4: Assuming The Throne

Chapter IV: Assuming the Throne

The Elrics, Ling, May Chang and Scar stared down a host of chimeras that stood between them and the surface. The creatures these once had been were gone and what remained were vicious monsters bred to these accursed tunnels and tear to shreds anyone who dared venture below. The type of these creatures varied amongst the horde from canine based to serpent based to simian based. Whatever breed they were they were all dangerous and all poised to strike at any moment.

"We have no choice! We have to break through!" Scar cried out as he was the first one to make a move, rushing to clasp the face of a tiger with scorpion like claws and a tail.

As Scar destroyed the beast with his incomplete alchemy Ed and Al watched from behind, hesitant to join in at first. They both had their reasons to despise the man for what he had done but now was not the time for justice. Now was not the time for revenge. They all had to work together if they were going to escape this place alive. Ed fashioned a blade out of his automail and rushed to Scar's right flank to engage a gorilla like beast while Alphonse using his size and martial arts skills attacked to Scar's left first running into a ravenous avian monster.

"Well come on kid, unless you're too scared." Ling teased May Chang, unaware of who she was at the time.

Ling drew his sword and rushed in to assist Edward, the two of them dispatching both bear and bird based chimeras. May Chang looked on and wondered what she could do. The fighting was in close quarters and there was little room for her to get involved. Then she spotted a lupine chimera about to tear into Scar while Scar was deconstructing a leopard based monster.

"Mr. Scar look out!" May Chang shouted then she flung two of her knives into the chimera closing in on Scar.

The group continued to furiously fight through the chimeras, smashing them one by one as fast as they came at them but ultimately getting nowhere.

"There's too many of them!" Alphonse exclaimed as he punched downward onto the skull of a hyena-like chimera.

"Stand back!" Scar commanded.

He stuck his hand into the water and split it into hydrogen and oxygen gas and directed it towards the horde of chimeras. Without warning he then yanked off Alphonse's head and struck it against a steel pipe to generate a spark. The resultant explosion ripped through the mass of chimeras before them and kicked up a cloud of dust and smoke which obfuscated everything for a short time.

When the smoke had cleared Ed, Al, Ling and May Chang had a clear path forward while Scar was nowhere to be found.

"Mr. Scar? Mr. Scar! Where did you go?" May Chang called out.

"Forget about him we've got to get topside now!" Edward shouted and raced on ahead.

Ling followed close behind Ed. Alphonse looked over at May Chang for a second then he too took off running. The Elric brothers had no love lost for Scar if he had sacrificed himself so that they could escape. As for May Chang she couldn't be left alone in this place. She had to leave too. Wherever he had gone to, Scar was on his own now.

"Don't you leave me too!" May Chang cried out as she ran to catch up to the others.

May Chang quickly caught up to Alphonse and the entire group managed to escape to the surface, fighting off the stragglers among the chimeras who tried to come after them.

Meanwhile back in the inner chamber beneath Central Command Vader was pondering his situation. Feeling somewhat refreshed he stood back up almost as quickly as he had sat down. He felt small hoses that had somehow fused to his back snap off and ooze a hot pink fluid when he arose. It was a strange sensation really, one that Vader had hardly noticed until now. It seemed his vertigo had passed and he now could take a full measure of his surroundings free from the demands of combat. The room itself was unremarkable, a standard underground dungeon of some type. The physical reality was nothing spectacular to Vader. It seemed primitive and dreary enough. The metaphysical aspect of this place was what truly piqued his curiosity.

Force or something akin to it still existed in this place. Vader had felt the little girl and the disfigured man utilizing its energies. The others were manipulating something entirely different, something Vader did not quite understand. Instead of an interconnected web of ethereal energy connecting all living things this energy which the others, most notably the monsters fighting on his behalf, utilized came from within themselves. It was a power they could possess as well as merely tap into. This assuredly had limitations as the user would have been bound only to be able to utilize the energies which said user possessed. It was not like the Force in which a nearly infinite stream of life energy formed the _prima materia_ for the user's abilities. This power required the user to exchange something of himself along with the matter that was to be manipulated in order to grant him the ability. In essence the user would have to trade substance, energy or both in order to achieve an effect.

As for the substance itself there was a distinct underlying difference to the physical properties of this universe that Vader had not felt until he began probing into it with his mind. Vader felt the fundamental structure of material elements here was more malleable, as if everything existed in a permanent state of flux. He could even alter the form of substances with his will alone, though he wasn't very good at it. What appeared to be a lump of gelatinous clay was morphing in the air a few feet away from Vader. After a few minutes of failing to take form the clay fell to the ground and turned back into a puddle of mud and water. It would take a lot of practice before he mastered this art.

"Why are Father's transmutations all funny?

"The gate must have taken something from him that affects his ability to transmute." Envy assumed.

"There's no telling what else he might have lost so be careful Gluttony and don't go off and get yourself killed." Envy warned Gluttony implying that Vader may not be able to bring him back.

Envy and Gluttony both approached Vader and stood before him. These creatures were clearly his servants and viewed his as some kind of a father figure, why he did not know.

"Father, you might want to sit down. It seems your run in with the entity beyond the gate has left you fatigued." Envy advised.

Heeding his apparent minion's advice Vader sat back down. This time he sensed the tubes reconnecting with his biomechanical armor. Once again he felt a surge of power running through him when he had taken his place in Father's chair. It was as if he had become joined with a greater energy, one similar in nature to that which the monsters contained within themselves. Once he had absorbed it perhaps he would be able to utilize the same abilities that were displayed to him earlier. Perhaps then his "alchemy" as they called it would function as it was intended to.

"Don't trouble yourself any more over those meddling boys Father. I'll go speak to Wrath and he'll make sure they stay out of our plans from now on." Envy told Vader anticipating his wishes as if they were the same as Father's.

"If only we didn't need them as sacrifices." Envy half laughed half grumbled before he walked away.

Gluttony just stood there staring mindlessly at Vader not exactly knowing what to say or do at the moment. Vader disregarded the creature although he was aware of its presence. The power Vader was absorbing felt as if he was a starving man eating his first meal in weeks. The utter euphoria he experienced as he restored himself and became one with the powers of this world kept Vader seated upon his new throne this time. Could this energy be the secret to. . . .immortality?

Later that afternoon Ling took Ed, Al and May Chang to the house of Dr. Knox where he and his protectors had been staying. Ling knocked on the door and expected the good doctor to answer shortly.

"We've been here before haven't we brother?" Alphonse asked.

Edward nodded in agreement just before noise could be heard from the other side of the door. When the door opened Ling's eldest protector Fu was standing there to greet them.

"I am greatly relieved to see that you are well my young prince. Who are your friends?" Fu greeted them.

"This is Edward and Alphonse Elric, the Fullmetal alchemist and his brother. The little girl I have no idea, but she helped us fight off the Homunculi." Ling replied.

"Who is it?" called out Dr. Knox from the spare bedroom.

"Hey Doc! It's us, the Elric brothers!" Edward shouted back to a faint almost undetectable groan from the doctor.

"They are with Master Ling and some girl." Fu added.

"Well come on in. You're letting in a terrible draft." Dr. Knox called back.

The group entered into the home and shut the door behind them. They then passed by the room in which Fu's granddaughter, Lan Fan was resting from her injuries. Whilst Ling and Fu had not recognized May Chang at first Lan Fan knew exactly who she was.

"Master Yao! Get back!" Lan Fan exclaimed as she vaulted out of bed and poised herself for battle.

Despite having one arm and recently lost a lot of blood Lan Fan was determined to protect her master from what she perceived as an immediate threat to his well-being.

"What is it Lan Fan?" Ling asked as he stepped away from the others.

"This girl! She is a princess of the Chang clan! Stand aside!" Lan Fan declared.

In response to her aggressive posturing May Chang drew her knives and prepared for a showdown. However before they could strike Edward stepped in between them and held out his hands to hold the two girls back.

"Now wait a minute no need for things to get ugly. Why don't we all calm down and. . ." Edward started to calmly make an attempt to defuse the situation.

"Don't interfere with the affairs of our country!" loudly shouted May Chang and Lan Fan in unison startling Edward into tumbling back a little.

"Now little princess, you might think my wounds give you an advantage over me but you will find you are sorely mistaken." threatened Lan Fan.

"Yap! Yap! Enough talk let's get this over already." May Chang mocked her.

All the sudden Dr. Knox walked in and saw that the bedroom he had converted into a clinic for the time being was about to be torn up in a dynastic squabble.

"What do you two idiots think you are doing!?" Dr. Knox shouted.

"This doesn't concern you." Lan Fan replied.

"Yeah, don't interfere with the affairs of our country!" May Chang snapped.

"I don't care about the affairs of your country!" Dr. Knox shouted as he grabbed both of the two would be combatants by the collar.

". . .But while you are here there will be none of this!" Dr. Knox demanded.

"You're my patient and as such I can't have you dying on me now. You, little girl, you're welcome to stay the night with the Elrics just don't cause any trouble." Dr. Knox explained to the two of them.

"Don't worry Doc; she won't cause any trouble while we're here." Edward bragged.

"Don't you speak for me you little. ." May Chang started to chastise Ed.

"Who are you to be calling me little?! You're shorter than any of us!" Edward shouted back at May Chang.

"I'm just a kid and I'll keep growing. You're going to be short forever. Hmmph!" May Chang sneered.

"Who are you calling short!" Ed fumed.

"Brother! Calm down, there's no need to get this upset. I'll watch her for the night." Alphonse offered.

"In the mean time you should call Winry and see about getting Lan Fan a new arm." Alphonse suggested.

"Good idea Al, I'll do that, right after dinner, I'm starving." Ed replied.

"Say Doc, when do we eat around here?" Edward asked Dr. Knox.

"Whenever you want. The food is in the kitchen. You'll have to cook it yourself. I'm a doctor not your personal butler." Dr. Knox replied.

With that Edward went off to make himself a sandwich while Ling remained with Lan Fan and old man Fu. Being that he didn't have a body that would get hungry Alphonse took May Chang to another room away from the Yao clan members. When he got there some movement within his armor reminded him of something.

"Oh excuse me miss. I believe I might have something that belongs to you." Alphonse mentioned to May Chang.

He then removed the right hand of his armor and shook it a little until May Chang's pet panda, Xiao Mei popped out. The dwarf panda bear immediately looked upon May Chang and hopped back onto her shoulder and ran around excitedly until it came to rest in her cradling arms.

"Oh Xiao Mei! I had looked all over for you! I was so worried!" May Chang exclaimed, sobbing for joy at the return of her dear pet.

"Thank you Mr. Armor." she looked up graciously thanked Alphonse.

"Don't mention it. Oh, and it's not Mr. Armor; it's Alphonse, Alphonse Elric." Alphonse replied.

"Elric? Elric hmmm? Are you that mean little dwarfs brother?" May Chang asked him.

"Hey I heard that!" Ed shouted from the kitchen.

"She wasn't talking about you brother!" Al shouted back.

He then turned back to May Chang. ". . . and yes he is my brother." Al answered her.

"Well you are awfully taller than he is. Do you look the same as he does under that armor?" May Chang asked.

"Sort of, except taller, a little younger, clean cut and not so angry looking." Alphonse replied.

With that she immediately poured her affections for the fictionalized version of the Fullmetal Alchemist into Alphonse, dreaming that he in fact would be the man she had made up to fall in love with.

"But right now there's nothing underneath this armor. You see I've kind of lost my body and me and my brother have been looking for a way to get it back." Alphonse explained.

"Oh that's terrible." May Chang said.

"I do hope you get your body back soon." she continued.

"Me too." Alphonse concurred.

Back at Central Command Envy entered Fuhrer Bradley's office in the form of an Amestrian General. The Fuhrer was having a meeting with some of his senior staff officers concerning routine military operations when Envy barged in. The level of disrespect for proper protocol and procedure displayed by the general in question led Fuhrer Bradley to assume it had to be Envy. None of the actually military would be so audacious to barge into his ward room unannounced.

"That will be all for now. Leave us." Bradley dismissed his staff officers and guards, speaking as pleasant and cordial as he always did when conducting business.

Bradley got up from his seat and turned towards Envy while his staff filed out of the room and closed the double doors behind them. Once the Fuhrer and Envy were alone Bradley changed his pleasant demeanor to a more stern and serious one.

"You have something to tell me Envy?" Fuhrer Bradley asked.

"It was that obvious?" Envy asked as he knew he was still in human form.

"You're not hard to pick out." Bradley reminded him while tapping his eye patch twice.

"Oh but yeah, there have been some developments down below." Envy said his voice slightly tinged with fear.

"What kind of developments?" asked Bradley.

"We brought the Fullmetal pipsqueak and his brother to see Father and a gate opened up without warning. It swallowed Father and spit him out all deformed with his memories erased." Envy reported.

"I see." Bradley mused and turned away from Envy and walked towards the window.

He stood at the window for a minute or two looking out over the courtyard in front of Central Command. He didn't understand how a Gate could be opened without performing human transmutation. Furthermore Father had been sucked into the Gate against his will. If they could understand the process behind this they could have a simpler time obtaining the remaining sacrifices they required. After thinking it over a little while Bradley turned back towards Envy who was still posing as a soldier.

"The Elric boys were down there when it happened you say? Interesting." Fuhrer Bradley inquired, returning to his pleasant cordial demeanor.

"Yes. I don't see how they could have opened the Gate though. They were our prisoners." Envy replied.

"I would like to have a word with the boys. Bring them to me." the Fuhrer instructed Envy.

"They ran off after our dust up underground and they haven't been seen since. It might take a while to locate them." Envy replied.

"Do what you must." Fuhrer Bradley said.

Envy turned to leave and started walking away.

"Oh and one more thing." Bradley spoke up, his voice stopping Envy in his tracks.

"We will need leverage when we sit down with the Elrics. How about you invite their delightful automail engineer for a visit?" Bradley suggested.

Envy looked back over his shoulder and cracked a devious smile.


	5. Chapter 5:Reflections of a Deposed Deity

Chapter V: Reflections of A Deposed Deity

After the Emperor's errand to this world ended in a dismal failure the location of the lost Sith temple once again became lost. It was left forgotten and stricken from the record entombing a dreadful curiosity for all time. Palpatine assumed that the creature would wither away and die on that rock, that is assuming it would wither away and die at all. Perhaps at some point he would return after a long imprisonment had given the entity time to reconsider its options. Then he would come better prepared and would not be taken so easily. For now he had to deal with wiping out the last remnant of the Jedi order without the use of his most powerful asset. Asserting the Empire's utter dominance over the galaxy would take longer than he had foreseen now that these rogue Jedi would undoubtedly join with the Rebellion. In the days ahead the Emperor would find himself so preoccupied with other matters he would forget about what he had left behind.

Back on the nameless temple world the Homunculus remained, alone and forsaken with nothing but his thoughts to occupy his time. In the months and years that followed he had walked the entire surface of this planet and found every inch to be utterly deserted. There were arid wastes, vast expanses of what had once been oceans before they were boiled away long ago and high peaks forming broad mountain ranges. With every breath he altered the atmospheric content of this world ever so slightly. Through the eons he could potentially exhaust all the breathable air that remained for there was no biosphere to replenish it. By then the Homunculus assumed he would have learned how to properly transmute carbon dioxide back into oxygen and carbon dust using the laws that governed this reality. Carbon, the basis of all life he was familiar with and the only source of it on this world came from his breath. It was indeed a dead world, utterly lifeless. Everything that had once lived on this globe had long since turned to dust. There was little trace that there were once trees, fish, birds and all manner of crawling animals living here at one time. There remained the evidence of humans or other similar beings left in the works which they had constructed of substances more durable than mere flesh. There were ancient ruins of a civilization steeped in the dark arts which had long since dissolved into the realm of myth and legend. Very few Dark Lords of the Sith had even knew of this place. It had been stricken from the star charts in the early days of the Old Republic by the command of the Jedi High Council who feared the corrupting influence of the secrets contained within. Whether by the slow decay of time or deliberate actions in the distant past many of the cities and temples throughout this world had laid to waste. The markings of a language understood by only one who still drew breath had been defaced in many of the colossal structures left standing. Where destruction and decay had not visited this world was like a window into the past. There was no modern technology in this place, nothing to indicate a spacefaring civilization had ever even set foot upon this world. This was a relic from the prehistory of the galaxy.

As he wandered the Homunculus pondered a great many things. His meditations consumed his focus as he found nothing worthy of interest in a planet that was nothing but an open grave. He wondered how he would return to his children. He could open the gate again but he knew what dreadful fate awaited him if he attempted to do that in his weakened state. Why the Gate hadn't reclaimed him when he passed through to this place was beyond his understanding. Was this the hell we was condemned to for a sin he had conceived but not yet committed. God truly must have hated him or so he believed. Should he linger in this place too long and miss the coming of the Promised Day what then? Would all of his masterfully laid plans have been for naught? Would he never be truly free?

He couldn't let impatience get the better of him. He had waited centuries beneath Central crafting his schemes and waiting for the Promised Day to come, what was another decade or two in this lonely place? If he had to he could wait centuries more for the next Promised Day to occur; that is if his physical form would endure that long. A total eclipse over Amestris happened in cycles though those cycles were long, He was indeed powerful and long lived in his former state of glory but he was by no means immortal. He would have to absorb the entity he called "god" in order to achieve that. In the meantime he would have to rejuvenate himself by other means. Perhaps when he returned he could leave his children to tend to his creation while he sojourned in a far off country of which the Amestrians had little knowledge of. There he could recreate something like his ascension at Xerxes and restore his body so that it would last until the next Promised Day. If he had to do this again and again he would do so. Humans were easily manipulated, possessed by their passions, their lust for power, their insatiable greed, their unrelenting vanity, they were weak and foolish creatures. Having purged himself of most of his passions he was the only creature in his own world capable of truly thinking clearly, the only enlightened being in existence. The worms which provided nothing but energy to be harvested could not even be considered to be intelligent life in the first place. They could be controlled, domesticated as easily as any animal. All could be bent to his will and these insignificant creatures would blindly and willingly be converted into a usable substance. What more usable substance could there be than one which sustains him?

Now he couldn't even be sure that time passed the same way in this place as it did in his own realm. The principles of alchemy did not apply here as he understood it, why should the passage of time in these two realms be linked? He could return to his own world and find it no different than when he left it. If that was the case then all of this scheming in exile would have been for naught. This did not matter now for what else would he do to pass the time? He was the solitary life form on an entire planet. There was nothing but himself here. In a way that fact was somewhat fulfilling to him, yet there was the memory of loneliness. It was not a feeling, for he felt nothing during his time in exile, well, close to nothing. It was rather more of a memory that could not be defined; a memory so distant that it seemed like it never happened. He was a much different creature then; so frail, so imperfect.

He wasn't truly alone per se; Greed was still with him, he had not been able to grant him a new form. One could say he could fashion a second Pride, for his arrogance had never been fully purged when he had attempted to separate it from his being the first time. It was his most dominant trait and the hardest to eliminate if he wished to become a perfect being. He contemplated on the potential of imparting those aspects of himself into new Homunculi in this place, though he would need more power to do so. The life energies of a few dozen clones did not amount to much beyond the dust of a philosopher's stone. Furthermore he could not attain greater power without the life energy of others and again this place was devoid of that most precious of resources. Once again it all came down to the same unavoidable fact; he had to get off this world. How exactly could that be accomplished he wondered. He could not transmute one substance into another; ergo he could only transmute stone into stone, iron into iron and so forth. Even if he could transmute it wasn't as if he could transmute himself a fully functional spaceship for he had no knowledge of such devices and without foreknowledge of what he desired to produce how then could he produce it? His knowledge of alchemy did not come with a knowledge of technologies that haven't even been invented in his own world.

That was another sticking point for the Homunculus, his alchemical knowledge seemed to be more of a hindrance than a help here. His immense knowledge of alchemy and the energies behind it did not help him much in this world. All of that great knowledge and the power that came with it was invalid when the basic laws which undergirded it were radically altered in this place. When he did try to connect with the powerful energies that flowed through this place the application of what the Homunculus had formerly known to be true through alchemy became roadblocks to his understanding of the Force. It took him far longer than it would one of his same constitution and disposition towards the Force than it would for somewhat without the Homunculus' prior knowledge to master the manipulation of the Force. Nonetheless in the years which the Homunculus dwelt upon this forgotten rock he had become quite adept, albeit undisciplined with the use of Force powers.

The Force was a mighty tool and the Homunculus understood that it held great potential for him but it had imposed serious limitations on him. What was the most frustrating for the Homunculus was that he could sense the Force and use the Force but he could not possess the Force. He could not become the de facto god of this realm. Something was always greater than him, the same as in his own world. A great sorrow fell over the Homunculus because of this. He yearned to be perfect and to be truly free, not only of this place he was banished to but to be free in an ultimate sense. This was the greatest drawback he perceived during his time contemplating the nature of the Force. A second drawback was that his knowledge of the Force was woefully incomplete. He had experienced only a fraction of the energies of the Force and intimately knew even less. Whether it was the darkness that lingered around this world or the darkness within himself there were additional limitations to how far he could delve into the essence of the Force. He could connect with the Force here but only with its darker energies. He wanted to connect with all of it and in order to do that he would have to leave this place. That was the cold immutable truth of the matter; the Homunculus had to leave this world. Little did he know that after years trapped alone on this dismal and forgotten sphere fate would happen to provide him the means to do just that.


	6. Chapter 6: Shadow Boxing

Chapter VI: Shadow Boxing

Later that night Ed called Winry to see about getting Lan Fan some automail made.

"Hello?" Winry answered the phone.

"Hey Winry." Edward said.

"Is that you Ed? I just got off the phone with you what is it now?" Winry asked.

"Is that so? I was just calling to see if you could come down and . . ." Edward replied but was cut short.

"Come visit you and your brother in Central and bring my tools so I can patch up your automail. I know, I know you just asked me that. Why are you asking me again? Is your short term memory that bad? You know they say milk helps your brain development, maybe you should. . ." Winry interrupted Ed and was interrupted herself before she could finish.

"Enough already with the milk! I'm not going to drink it!" Ed curtly interrupted her.

"It might help with a few things though." Winry reminded him.

"I can deal with it. No more talk about milk alright! Just bring your stuff and meet us at the train station as soon as you can get here." Ed said.

"You don't have to remind me Ed, I'm leaving first thing tomorrow morning." Winry replied.

"Oh yeah, so umm where did I tell you we were staying because our plans just changed. Yeah, that's why I called you a second time."

"You said you had a nice hotel room picked out for me where I had enough room to set up shop and everything. You said it was one of the finest establishments in Central." Winry replied.

"Oh well about that, you see Al spent the money we had helping this animal shelter take in a bunch of stray cats so we found somewhere else where we all can stay." Ed told her.

"You're not turning my home into a hotel boy why I oughta!" Dr. Knox protested in the background.

"Aww, well Al does have a big heart but you should be more responsible with your money!" Winry said starting off cute and changing into angry when she addressed Edward directly

"I know, I'll be more careful next time." Ed told her.

"You better! I have to close up shop now and I've still got a customer waiting I'll talk to you at the train station tomorrow." Winry said.

"Bye Winry, I'll see you when you get here." Ed said and hung up the phone.

"What was that all about brother?" asked Alphonse.

"I don't know but something sounds fishy. I think the Homunculi might be involved so be on your guard when we go pick up Winry tomorrow.

"Count me in! I still have to flush a philosopher's stone out of one of those sacks of meat." Ling spoke up after overhearing the entire conversation.

"How long have you been there?" asked Ed, startled to see Ling.

"Oh, just a few minutes here and there. I come and go you know." Ling replied.

"Master Ling, it would be unwise of you to go alone and I can't leave my granddaughter here in such a condition. Please, I urge you to stay." Fu told Ling.

"Nonsense. The Elrics will be with me and they're as good a guardian as any. I have to go; this might be a good chance to swiping one of those stones and obtaining the secret of immortality." Ling declared.

Fu then got in Edward's face and glared at him. "If you let anything happen to one hair on Master Ling's head you will have hell to pay when I find you." Fu sternly told Ed, raising his fist upward in the space between both of their faces.

"Relax, we'll be fine." Edward backed off and said casually with a shrug of his shoulders.

After that the Elrics, May Chang and Ling's people all went off to bed for the night. When they woke up in the morning Edward discovered May Chang was gone.

"Hey Al, have you seen that annoying little brat with the strange cat anywhere?" Ed asked.

"I caught her sneaking out in the middle of the night. She told me she didn't feel safe staying the night in the same house as the Yao clan. She told me not to tell anyone about it, oops!" Alphonse told Ed, placing his hands over his mouth after he was done upon realizing he had just betrayed her trust.

"Oh, tough luck then. She had some interesting alchemy techniques and I thought we might compare notes, you know learn as much as we can. We'll need all the knowledge we can get if we want to get our bodies back." Ed told Al.

"Yeah." Al said while reaching his right hand around the back of his head. "I think she might be going to look for Scar." Al confessed.

"Scar! Is she crazy! It's like she wants to get herself killed!" Ed shouted in astonishment.

"Well we really can't do anything about that now; we have to go meet Winry soon." Al told him.

"Winry, that's right. We're late! Let's get going Al!" Ed said as he realized how much time he had wasted loitering around the house this morning.

He hastily grabbed his jacket and put it on as he ran out the door.

"Don't you kids want breakfast first?" asked Dr. Knox to no reply.

"Hey wait up for me!" Ling called out to the Elrics as he got up from the breakfast table and bolted out the door after them.

When Winry got off the train she was greeted on the platform by Edward holding up a sign with her name on it.

"Why hello Winry, are you ready to see your new accommodations. They are really quite exquisite." Edward greeted her.

"I thought you said you couldn't afford that hotel?" Winry asked.

"Well, umm we misplaced the money but we managed to get more. I am a State Alchemist after all." Edward told her.

"Oh, right. I should have told you that last night." Winry said.

As the pair walked down off the platform and made their way out of the train station Winry was confronted by something she didn't expect to see in the street. There was a second Edward Elric running towards her. When the Edward she was with saw the second Edward he grabbed Winry's upper right arm and held onto her.

"Let go of her you creep!" the second Edward shouted.

"What, what is that?" Winry said in a weak frightened voice.

"Its bad news that's what it is. Let's get you out of here." The Edward standing beside her said and tugged on her arm to leave.

"Not so fast!" the second Edward said running up and planting a fist onto the right cheek of the first Edward.

The first let go of Winry as she tugged away and got out of the way while the two Edwards duked it out in a flurry of fists and feet off to the side of Winry. Alphonse and Ling caught up to the action at the time one of the Edwards had the other one pinned up against the outside wall of the railway station.

"Al! What's going on?" Winry shouted and ran towards Alphonse.

Why are there two of Ed?" Winry asked, hugging onto Alphonse for protection.

"One of those two is a homunculus." Alphonse told Winry.

"A homunculus?" Winry asked with a deep concern.

"Which one?" she quickly asked a second question before the first one could be answered.

"I can't tell. They got all jumbled together when they were fighting and I lost track of which one was brother." Alphonse replied.

"Can you sense the Homunculus Ling?" Alphonse turned and asked Ling.

"Not with them being that close together. The inhuman presence is mixing with the human in one big ball of I don't know what." Ling quietly replied.

The whole scuffle was beginning to draw a crowd as people were gazing in awe at the sight of a man fighting his doppelganger.

"That kid looks just like the other one." a man commented.

"What are they fighting over? Did that one steal the other one's style?" a woman asked.

"No I think he was trying to steal his girlfriend." a second man chimed in.

"Isn't that the Fullmetal Alchemist?" a teenage girl asked.

"No, it couldn't be. The Fullmetal Alchemist isn't that short and he doesn't have a twin brother." a man corrected her.

"He does have a little brother though." a woman mentioned.

"Yeah, but that brother isn't a twin." the third man replied.

As the public gawked outside the train station the fight went one. One Ed ducked a hook punch from the right while uppercutting with a fierce left hand blow only to have his shoulders seized upon and his body forced down into a knee strike from below. Winry watched with great concern as one of the Edwards was getting bent over and repeatedly kneed in the chest while flailing his arms and punching the ribs of the second one. This couldn't continue on like this; she knew she had to intervene before her Edward got seriously hurt.

"I've got a way to tell." Winry assured Alphonse with a wink.

"Oh..." Alphonse said in bewilderment.

Winry let go of Al and stepped forward into the open circle where people had given the two Edwards space to fight it out.

"Hey Ed!" Winry called out.

The two Edwards stopped and looked at her with one of them still grasping the other's lapels and the second about to deliver an uppercut to the chin of the first.

"Huh?" one of the Edwards said.

"You don't need to fight over me. How about we just find somewhere in private to talk things out?" Winry offered a truce to the two Edwards.

She also appealed to the public onlookers as if this was a scuffle between her two jilted lovers who happened to be identical twins. Envy knew that eventually the police would be called and they couldn't keep brawling in the streets. They would have successfully seized Edward, maybe assuming the little runt didn't manage to get away like he always does, but in the process the general public would be made aware of the Homunculi and could start asking questions. If that happened Wrath would be furious with him so Envy was willing to take Winry up on her offer. The two Edwards broke from their grappling match and turned to face Winry standing side by side.

"That's better, now how about we go sit down in that cafe down the street and discuss this over a nice tall glass of cold milk." Winry proposed.

"Milk, sure does a body good." the left Edward Elric said licking his lips.

"What did I tell you about the milk Winry!" growled the right Edward.

"Brother!" exclaimed Alphonse.

"That's the real Edward Elric!" Winry exclaimed pointing to the real Ed who was scowling at the thought Winry's offer of milk.

"No fair!" Envy objected. "How was I supposed to know the pipsqueak doesn't like milk?"

"I guess you'd have to know me. . ." Edward cheerfully remarked.

". . . and don't call me a pipsqueak you pipsqueak!" Edward shouted back, changing his tone to a more confrontational one.

"I'm assuming your form you imp! You just called yourself a pipsqueak!" Envy shouted back.

"Shut your mouth!" Edward shouted and with that swept out Envy's legs and made a run towards Winry.

At the same time Alphonse and Ling charged towards Envy to prevent him from giving chase. Envy got up just in time to have Alphonse's metal fist plow into the sore right side of his face. Envy hurtled backwards and slammed up against the wall. Ling lunged in with his sword and Envy twisted narrowly away from being impaled in the stomach and thus revealing his nature to the public. That was a close call Envy thought to himself. It looked like it was time for him to leave. Envy ducked out of the way of another one of Alphonse's mighty hands and ran away.

"Come back here you filthy Homunculus!" Ling screamed and gave chase.

Ling saw Envy bolt along the side of the train station and dart down an alleyway. Ling pursued him and followed him down a side street and through another narrow alley. As Envy ran into this shadowy tight corridor he changed back into his most comfortable form with Ling hot on his trail.

Meanwhile back in front of the train station Edward, Alphonse and Winry all gathered together in the midst of a bewildered crowd.

"Glad you got your girl back kid." a man congratulated Ed.

"Thanks, but she's not my girl, she's my automail engineer." Edward confessed.

"Brother. Shouldn't we go help Ling?" Alphonse asked.

"You go help him; I've got to get Winry someplace safe." Edward told Alphonse.

Just then the military police stormed onto the scene.

"Everyone clear out of this area by order of the Fuhrer!" the leader of the MPs shouted.

When Alphonse tried to go after Ling he was stopped by the soldiers.

"Except you. The Fuhrer wishes to see the Elrics right away." the MP in front of Alphonse told him holding out his hand with an open palm towards the metal golem.

"Winry, run! Get to the Hughes' place as fast as you can. I'll meet you there as soon as possible." Edward frantically ordered her.

"Why?" What's going on Ed? Why are you so worked up?" Winry asked.

"No time to explain! Just go!" Edward commanded with the utmost urgency.

Winry made haste in fleeing as the civilians in the area filtered out. Edward wasn't going to risk her by telling her the truth about King Bradley. He knew that whatever the Fuhrer wanted from him it probably had something to do with the Homunculi and the weird things that happened under Central. His father, the Homunculi's father and the strange man in the black armor, all of it was connected somehow. Nothing had been explained to them before the gate had opened mysteriously but he knew that this was all connected. Whatever the Fuhrer wanted them for could not be good. While Ling was chasing down Envy through the streets and back alleys of Central on his own the MPs escorted the Elrics to Central Command where they would have their questions and their fears entertained at least if not answered.


	7. Chapter 7: Scavengers

Chapter VII: Scavengers

Many years had passed since the Emperor had lost his servant to the secrets of the dark alchemy of the ancient Sith. The Empire had grown and increased in strength. The Separatists were utterly annihilated and the worlds still loyal to the Old Republic fell one by one into Imperial hands. A strong rebel Alliance to restore the Republic centered on Alderaan with strong support from Corellia and Mon Calamari among other worlds rose up and defied Imperial will at every turn. Without Darth Vader to place them in check the rogue Jedi who escaped the purge did in fact turn out to aid the rebellion in large numbers and in many instances their powers bolstered the efforts to subvert and deceive the Imperial forces thus slowing the expansion and consolidation of Imperial might throughout the Galaxy. Some of the Jedi simply disappeared and pursued their own aims but true to their calling the majority stood in the face of evil and declared "no more" to Palpatine's schemes. This infusion of strength into the Rebel Alliance's ranks allowed them to carve out a territory of their own bolstered by blank space all around where neither the Empire nor the Alliance held sway and where gangsters, smugglers and all manner of riffraff thrived.

In one of these blank spaces Boram Calrissian and his teenage son Lando had their own business venture going. They would take their ship the _Centurion Eagle_ around the far reaches of the galaxy seeking out priceless artifacts and ancient treasures to sell to the highest bidder. They didn't stop at searching out treasure in forgotten places however, should someone else beat them to the loot they had no qualms with snatching it away from those who rightly found it. They fancied themselves as historians and treasure hunters but were often indistinguishable from crypt robbers and pirates. On several occasions Lando's good friend Han Solo accompanied them on their adventures. This time it seemed the partnership would be of a more permanent nature. Han was already a rebellious teen back on his homeworld on Corellia and after numerous run ins with the authorities had since run away from home and took up plundering the space lanes with Lando.

Having just acquired the _Centurion Eagle_ Lando proudly was showing off the vessel to his friend while his father was making preparations for launch after negotiating with a shady character who had tipped them off about a potentially huge discovery on a largely undiscovered world.

"So you got rid of the old rust bucket did you?" Han asked.

"More like it got impounded by Imperial customs agents at Dantooine." Lando replied.

"Well good riddance to old and rusty then. Hello slick and awesome." Han marveled at the polished interior of the new ship which was tricked out with all the latest gear the discerning space pirate could simply not go without.

"Not bad for a glorified pirate eh Han?" Lando bragged.

"Hey we're not pirates, we're treasure hunters." Boram interjected as he came upon the two teenage boys.

"Isn't that a distinction without a difference?" Han asked.

"There's a huge difference!" Boram exclaimed.

"Whatever you say mister but wow, this baby sure is nice." Han replied.

"You think so huh? I tell you I paid a pretty penny for it so it better be. It's got advanced sensor jamming equipment, strong forward shields; back ones aren't too shabby either. The main engines are some of the best on the market plus we got a brand new hyperdrive installed. The Empire's not going to catch us in this one!" Boram told him.

"So she's a fast ship?" Han asked.

"I'd say. She can make the Kessel Run in around fourteen parsecs." Boram replied.

"When I get my own ship I'll be able to do it in less than twelve." Han boasted.

Boram and Lando both burst out laughing at the preposterous notion. No one has ever made the Kessel Run in twelve parsecs let alone less than twelve. He would be a god among smugglers if he could do that.

"I'll believe it when I see it Han." Lando laughed.

"Once we hit us a big score out here I'll take the money and go out and get that ship." Han told him.

"It takes more than just a fast ship to pull the Kessel run; it takes a top notch pilot. Even with a droid assist you're going to need inhuman reflexes and Jedi-like intuition to pull it off in twelve parsecs." Boram remarked.

"I'll prove it to you, just once we get that big score." Han replied.

"Once we get that big score. That's like chasing a rainbow Han. Sure would be nice to catch." Lando remarked.

"What about you? What are you going to do when you retire from pirac...I mean treasure hunting?" asked Han

"Me? Well to tell the truth I'd like to settle down somewhere and open up a legitimate enterprise." Lando replied.

". . or at least one that looks legitimate." Lando laughed.

"We're plenty legitimate boys and speaking of I might have just found the thing that nets us that big payday we're dreaming of. Now strap yourselves in." Boram told them.

Han and Lando got themselves strapped in and the _Centurion Eagle_ launched and prepared for hyperspace travel.

"What are you talking about Pops?" asked Lando.

"This." Boram said as he handed Lando a touch pad full of top secret information.

"That information was retrieved out from under the Emperor's own personal guard. Seems the Empire had been involved in this big dig out in the unknown regions but was forced to abandon it due to a rock slide and with all the Jedi coming back to fight against them they never had a chance to return. Tis said a lot of people died to get this information. There was talk of selling it to the Alliance but the source of my source's source said the man he got it from was a big wig in the Empire and insisted that if discovered this treasure would not go to the Alliance. It's supposed to go back to the Empire in exchange for a hefty sum but I've already lined up a buyer that's willing to pay triple what the Empire's offering." Boram explained.

"With your cut of that you might be able to get that ship after all." Boram told Han.

"Sounds like a huge stretch to me. You'd think if this was so valuable to the Empire they would have gone after it themselves." Lando skeptically remarked.

"Why risk your own men going through hostile territory when you can pay others to take the risk." Boram replied.

Boram was in fact a little too optimistic for his own good. The potential payoff was so life changing that he was willing to suspend disbelief just enough to get his hopes soaring. Every treasure hunter dreams of something like this, a discovery that not only would leave them set for life in the lap of luxury but something that could leave them with an indelible mark on history.

"So what is it?" Han asked the obvious question.

"My boy, the artifact we are seeking contains no less than the secret to immortality, the infinite elixir of life! Now tell me that old Jabba wouldn't trade away three quarters of his fortune for that." Boram replied.

"Immortality, psshaww! What nonsense! That's more ridiculous than anything even a Jedi would say." Han remarked.

"It doesn't actually have to be real just real enough that our buyer believes in it. Although I have very good reason to believe this is in fact the real deal." Boram replied.

"Now I know you're being taken for a sucker! How much did you pay for that information?" Lando exclaimed.

"Ten thousand credits." Boram replied.

"Ten thousand!" Han and Lando exclaimed in mutually astonished unison.

"Relax; my buyer has put up a stipend covering the ten thousand plus an additional thirty thousand to cover our expenses along the way." Boram replied.

"What if we can't deliver because this immortal elixir of yours doesn't exist?" Lando asked.

"The buyer gets our ship, our mining operation and we all work off the rest for him in the spice mines." Boram replied.

"You sold us into slavery without our consent and pawned the ship!" Lando shouted.

"Relax son, we're not going to turn up empty handed and I don't plan on using any more of the thirty thousand than we need to. Worst case we just hand over our stock in the mining operation and have the ship on loan to us for a couple years." Boram assured his son.

Lando and Han both looked shocked at how relaxed Boram was when he said this.

"Don't worry. Come on now, I've been at this game since long before you were born. I know a scam when I see one. Trust me; we're going to be rich." Boram assured them and with that they jumped to hyperspace.

After several stops to learn more and refine their search the intrepid explorers would soon come upon the world whose forgotten existence had been passed down to them through a shady chain of informants believed to wind through the shadows all the way back to the Emperor's hand. Soon they would see if they had been played for fools or if all of Boram's well-wishing was true and they would happen upon the greatest discovery of their lives; the one that would leave them made men for the rest of their days.


	8. Chapter 8: Step Brothers

Chapter VIII: Step Brothers

Once he had completed the task of absorbing the energy from the remnant of Father's Philosopher's Stone beneath Central Vader was able to reconstruct himself a new body. He would have chosen that of Anakin Skywalker if only he remembered who that was. The Gate had taken those memories from him. Instead the new memories he had absorbed provided him with another image in which to fashion a living body apart from his cybernetic suit: the body of Van Hohenheim. Vader took on the appearance of Father now as well as the role. In doing so he also absorbed some of the characteristics which Father had left on this skeletal fraction of himself. The greatest of the traits that came to Vader was the need to purify himself of that which pained him dearly. Vader did not remember the source of his pain, the cause of his suffering, yet it remained. Father's ashes had shown him the way to remove it and so he did, by purging the aspects of himself which he attributed to his grief, his resentment, his sorrow, his loneliness and his fear. He then imbued these attributes into seven Homunculi of his own making, fashioned from creatures and alchemical creations brought to him by his elder adopted children.

In Father's case when he created the Homunculi out of himself he had removed his sinful passions whereas In Vader's case it was not his vices that were purged but his virtues. In time he gave birth to each of them out of his new being, the regenerated body that surrounded his old animated corpse. Vader bore each of them, the junior brethren to the six remaining Homunculi; they were Chastity, Temperance, Charity, Patience, Kindness, Diligence and Humility. They each bore their own ouroboros tattoos in blue as opposed to red.

Chastity being counter to the fallen Lust had much the same form as the woman she replaced. How she differed in the fact that she had radiant pale blonde hair and distinct Asian features to her. However she resembled Lust just enough to give Gluttony great joy that his favorite big sister was in spirit back among them. Whereas Lust was given the gift of an ultimate spear Chastity possessed a variant of the ultimate shield. Unlike Greed's dark metallic looking shield Chastity's ultimate shield turned her skin a brazen shade of gold though the shield itself was accomplished through the projection of an energy field which she could extend ahead of her with some minute expense of her own power. Her ouroboros tattoo was located below the waistline between her legs and never appeared visible in public.

Temperance was the counter to Gluttony and resembled the ghastly apparition of the Slenderman. He was able to simply vanish and teleport somewhere else within his sight at will. He could also bend, flex and stretch in a way reminiscent of Mr. Fantastic. However his frail form lacked the immense strength of Gluttony and thus he was not very good in close combat. Like Gluttony he could sense out the presence of his foes and using his stealth could make hit and run attacks before they could turn about and trounce him. His ouroboros tattoo was on the thin twig that was his stomach.

The new Homunculus Kindness, counter to Envy, took the form of the deceased Padme Amidala though without his memory Vader did not know who she was to him. She was the counter to Envy and had the gift of restoration. She could heal any wounds of both mortal and homunculus and was able to transfer the energies of her stone into that of her brethren in order to extend their life. She was even able to revive the others at the moment of death by substituting herself in their place; the closest thing to human transmutation which the laws of alchemy would allow. Her ouroboros tattoo was located on the center of her chest on top of her heart.

Patience bore much similarity to a black skinned version of Wrath who preferred the use of one two-handed bastard sword instead of the lightweight single edged sabres that Wrath used. His abilities however were more of a mirror image of Sloth's being incredibly strong and incredibly fast. His ouroboros tattoo was on the center of his forehead.

Diligence being the true counter to Sloth was an androgynous fair skinned blonde person who could either have passed for a gorgeous effeminate man or rugged short haired tomboy of a woman. He or she had the ability of the ultimate lance which was similar in function to Lust's ultimate spear and in appearance to a pale yellow lightsaber blade which could extend to particularly long distances but not as long as Lust's spears could have. His or her ouroboros tattoo was on his or her right bicep.

Humility was the twin of Pride and had the appearance of a young innocent Ishvallan girl. Whereas Pride controlled the shadows Humility controlled the light. She was able to harness rays of light shining through the darkness much in the same way Pride could manipulate shadows falling through the light. Just as her counterpart was the greatest among the sinful Homunculi she was the greatest of the virtuous Homunculi. Her ouroboros tattoo was on her left knee.

With the purging of his virtue, the residue of which had escaped Palpatine's best efforts to corrupt, Vader had fully committed himself back to the Dark Side. He in fact was the Darkest of all the Dark Lords of the Sith having nearly completely expelled the good and the righteous from his being. However his transformation was not complete; Vader retained one stone for himself at the moment, the one that would bear the Homunculus Charity. He reserved this one to imbue onto a human host much in the way Wrath was made. At the present time no such host had been delivered unto him. Until that time Charity would still remain part of Vader, keeping the darkness from fully overwhelming him and perfecting the monster in which Emperor Palpatine had desired to shape him into.

Once he had purged out his virtues into the form of new Homunculi Vader found that he had depleted the residual energy left behind in Father's stone. Too much of his power had been retained by Father or lost to the Gate. Now Vader had nothing left outside of himself on which to draw upon. The awesome power of the Philosopher's stone it seemed retained just enough of Father's will impressed upon it so that in the end its final allocation of energy had gone into Father's priorities, not Vader's. He was a new entity now, complete with Vader's darkness and Father's desire. He now reigned over a host of new Homunculi to augment those already deceived into his service. The path was laid before him; Lord Vader would be set to become the master of this world, all he had to do was walk that path.


	9. Chapter 9: A Living Treasure

Chapter IX: A Living Treasure

Ever patient the Homunculus continued in solitude on the ancestral Sith holy world. Abandoned by its former occupants this world belonged to him now, but unlike the vibrant living world he had come from this dead world of silence was not enough. His own desire for perfection and knowledge coupled with the essence of Greed still residing within his being impelled him to seek greater things. He had seen all there was to see of this world; all that remained now was to find a place to call his own where he could peacefully commune with the Force and begin to absorb its knowledge to augment his own while time continued to tick away.

In time Father found a place upon the planet's surface he wished to make his own. There he had begun work on creating his own palace out of the dusty ruins. He scrawled a transmutation circle on the ground and activated it to fashion the ground into the form he desired. Having to resort to using transmutation circles was so beneath him. Unfortunately it was the only way he could perform what limited alchemy he was able to perform here.

Using the transmutation circles the Homunculus was able to bend the Force into mimicking the effects of alchemy. It didn't have the ease of use which Father had become accustomed to in his world. This fact made him look down even more upon the lesser beings that were required to perform alchemy in such a crude manner; even the Elrics were disgustingly primitive in his eyes. Had Wrath, Pride or Envy also been a part of him when he was cast down to their level he would be full of contempt and rage during this time. Unbeknownst to the Homunculus that very anger by which his catharsis had expelled would have granted him tremendous powers in this realm. Without his vices to inflame his passions his ability to partake in the dark side of the Force was impaired. The Homunculus and his nearly perfect stoic composure would be more suited to the ways of the Jedi. It would be in the light side of the Force in which his true power in this continuum would lie, a power that in his hands would be unrecognizable from the power of darkness. However in this place a strong affinity for the dark side lingered and squelched out all knowledge of the living Force; hence the fact remained he would have to leave this world if he was to realize his maximum potential. Little did he know that the means by which he would do so was now orbiting overhead.

The _Centurion Eagle_ came out of hyperspace and entered into orbit around the mysterious world after following a chain of clues from one planet to the next until at last they reached these coordinates, long scoured from any known star charts.

"By golly would you look at that, it is here after all." exclaimed Boram when the ghost world appeared in front of him.

Lando immediately started doing scans of the planet while his father brought the ship into a low orbit.

"Looks like it has a breathable atmosphere, moderate gravity and temperature. We should have no problems going down there." Lando reported.

"Are you picking up any lifeforms?" Boram inquired wondering if anyone had beaten them to the punch.

"There are no lifeforms detected." Lando answered.

"Excellent. Now find us a landing site next to one of those temple complexes." Boram instructed him.

The Homunculus, having originated in the darkness beyond the Gate did not meet the criteria for biological life to be picked up by the scanner. His physical form forged from a great philosopher's stone while comprised of the living essence of hundreds of people was also non-biological in nature. From their cursory scans the planet appeared to be lifeless in spite of its sole inhabitant.

The existence of the Homunculus was not entirely undetectable however. The effects of its transmutations could be observed from orbit and they caught the attention of Lando as he was scanning the surface of the planet for a probable landing site. Their sensors noticed a patch of extremely active geology affecting an otherwise unremarkable plain on the southern hemisphere of this world. This peculiarity piqued Lando's attention and made him scan the area more intensely.

"Over there dad, there's some irregular activity going on. You think it's worth checking out?" Lando turned to his father and asked, drawing his attention to the anomalous readings on his display.

Boram grinned and held two fingers to his lips before pointing at an area in the center of the newly erected structures below. "That could be the place. As good a place as any I suppose." Boram said.

Boram then took the _Centurion Eagle_ down into the atmosphere and landed in the midst of the Homunculus' own temple complex. He left his son Lando to tend to the ship while he and Han disembarked onto the surface. Boram marveled at the grand palatial structures around them when they stepped outside. They seemed so new, so untouched by the hands of time for a world which had been forgotten for ages upon ages. The stones looked freshly cut from the earth, the gold trim and adorning jewels shimmered in the twilight as if they were newly polished to an inhuman shine. More fantastical than any of that was the sight of a tall spire rising from the dirt and forming itself into an elaborate fanciful tower.

"Active geology my ass! The ground just spit a tower out from underground." Boram remarked in sheer amazement.

The Homunculus was not blind to the presence of the interlopers, nor did he fear them. He fearlessly walked away from his work to meet them. Han was the first to notice the creature as it emerged from a great hall of its own design.

"Boram, I think you better take a look at this. We've got company." Han spoke up and drew Boram's attention away from a panel of carved reliefs.

They both turned and faced the approaching Homunculus. Having dealt with countless aliens before the treasure hunters were not one bit unnerved by the Homunculus' appearance. Being who he was the Homunculus was also not the least bit concerned by the presence of humans here.

"Greetings. Welcome to my world." Father greeted the two.

"Who the hell are you?" Han asked.

"Is that any way to greet your host?" Father asked in reply.

"You may call me Homunculus." Father then obliged to answer Han's question.

Father could sense their emotions. It was a strange sensation indeed; the Force was showing him something that did not have its equivalent in alchemy. With enough focus these feelings gave way to words that slipped from the treasure hunters minds to the Homunculus. Immortality it was, that was what they had come seeking. Oh how many humans have long sought this coveted treasure. These petty humans were all alike, so desperate to stave off their own mortality. This was something he could indeed tempt these feeble creatures with. It was not without exchange for these feeble creatures had something which the Homunculus greatly desired. They had come here from elsewhere and elsewhere was where he longed to be.

"You seek the stone of immortality I presume." Father stated.

"What makes you say that?" Boram asked.

"Why isn't that what everyone comes here for." replied the Homunculus.

"They never find it though, until now." Father continued.

The Homunculus shook and quivered as if he was gathering up a large quantity of energy within himself. Nervously Han stepped in front of Boram and raised his blaster to the creature. The Homunculus ignored the hostile gesture and proceeded to produce what the treasure hunters believed they wanted. He excreted Greed's stone through his rubbery tar colored skin into a clear flask which he fashioned from minerals in the dirt. Once the flask was full of the radiant hot pink fluid substance he extended his arm and held it towards Han.

"I present to you the immortal stone." Father magnanimously offered to Han.

"That? That is it?" Boram asked.

"Indeed. The key to immortality is in that flask." the Homunculus declared.

Han nervously lowered his blaster and reached for the flask. The Homunculus lifted it up and snatched it away from him.

"Before I can give this to you there is something you must do for me." the Homunculus told them.

"What is it?" asked Boram.

"Take me away from this world into a place full of life and beings such as yourself. I have been alone upon this rock for the better half of eternity and long for a change of scenery." the Homunculus told them.

These two had to have come from a place full of human resources. If he could go to where they were from he could use their energy fully restore his stone and reassume the form he had lost to the Gate. He could also peer into the light side of the Force and seek out knowledge thereof.

Han looked over at Boram and raised an eyebrow. "Do you think we could swing having a hitchhiker on board?" Han asked.

"If that goo really is what he says it is I don't see why not." Boram said.

The price which they would fetch for the serum of immortality was definitely worth the risk. They only had to be certain the serum worked. If they returned with a vial of snake oil they would be sold into slavery at best, more likely they would be skinned alive and made an example to all others who would dare scam their client.

"Can you prove that the stuff works?" Boram asked.

"Why certainly! Fire that weapon of yours at me and see for yourself. I am imbued with the very essence of that stone and therefore am its product, an immortal, nearly perfect being." the Homunculus replied, bidding Han to shoot him.

Han hesitantly raised his blaster and shot the Homunculus in the chest. The blaster shot left a scorch mark dead center of the creature's chest which then sparked out with red energy and healed itself completely. Han then fired three more shots across the Homunculus' chest and one into its eye at the center of its forehead. All of the wounds crackled with the bright red electricity and the Homunculus was restored as if the damage had never happened.

"I've seen enough." Boram declared before Han could shoot the creature again.

"You can come with us; just hand over that flask first." Boram told the Homunculus.

"Very well." the Homunculus said and handed over the flask to Han.

"Be careful Han. Go put that in a sealed container onboard and please try not to spill any of it." Boram commanded as Han took the flask.

"As for you follow me, allow me show you to my ship." Boram graciously offered the Homunculus.

He then led the Homunculus back to the _Centurion Eagle_ and once aboard showed it to its quarters where it was to remain until they reached the nearest inhabited planet as per their agreement. To the treasure hunters this was a very one sided deal; they obtained the secret to immortality in exchange for a relatively short space taxi ride. To the Homunculus this was also a one sided deal; the humans would transport his greed to some poor sap who would become its new vessel and thereby become bound loosely to his will. Furthermore once he reached his destination he would become more powerful than these tiny humans could ever imagine. He was free of this world now and one step closer to being truly and completely free.


	10. Ch10: Veiled Threats and Empty Promises

Chapter X: Veiled Threats and Empty Promises

The Elrics were taken directly to the Fuhrer. When they arrived Bradley had just finished meeting with Colonel Roy Mustang who appeared to be a bit perturbed. Unbeknownst to Ed and Al Mustang had just been informed that his closest friends and allies had all been reassigned elsewhere prior to their arrival. Worst of all Lt. Hawkeye had been assigned to be the Fuhrer's personal assistant, a role that made her a de facto hostage to ensure Mustang's cooperation.

"Ah, the Elric brothers. Please take a seat." the Fuhrer pleasantly greeted them while he remained seated behind their desk.

"King Bradley." Edward plainly acknowledged him.

"I apologize for the manner by which you were brought here but the two of you have been quite hard to find." Fuhrer Bradley jovially apologized.

"I suppose you're wondering why you're here." the Fuhrer said.

"You could say that." Edward replied.

Just then Envy barged in disguised in the form of an Amestrian soldier. Fuhrer Bradley looked over at Envy and raised an eyebrow.

"You're late." Bradley said to Envy.

"I had to lose one of those pesky humans." Envy replied.

Ling, Edward thought, what happened to him? He couldn't speak up however without giving away his connection to the travelers from Xing. He diverted his thoughts as he looked over to Mustang who was clenching his trembling fist beneath the table. That voice, those mannerisms, they unmistakably belonged to Envy which meant that what Ling said was correct; Fuhrer Bradley was a homunculus.

"Well, you'll have to wait til later. As you see I'm busy now." Bradley told Envy.

Envy walked over beside the door and leaned against the wall. Fuhrer Bradley then focused his attention back to the Elrics.

"It has come to my attention that you two had been quite busy lately. Find anything interesting?" Bradley asked them.

"Nothing yet sir. We're still searching for a way to get our bodies back." Alphonse said, playing along.

"Hmmm. . . Is that what you were doing underneath the city?" Bradley said accusingly lowering his brow and sharpening his gaze.

"How did King Bradley know they were beneath the city?" Ed wondered to himself.

He looked over to Mustang who was visibly unsettled by the statement. Ed glanced around the room thinking they may have to fight if they couldn't talk their way out of this one. There were no guards and Bradley only had one sword whereas his usual fighting style involved too. He must have been really confident if he thought he was more than a match for a three on one fight. Either that or he felt he wouldn't need to, he had leverage over Mustang, but the Elrics felt as if they had nothing to lose.

"If you're through with me sir may I be excused?" Mustang asked Bradley.

"No Colonel we're not done quite yet." the Fuhrer replied before casually sipping his tea.

"As for you Fullmetal, I would urge you not to meddle in our affairs any further. You and your brother are important to us. Accept the importance of your role and keep your heads down. You do that and no harm will come to you." the Fuhrer admonished Edward.

"I don't know what your designs are for this country or these sacrifices but I know it isn't good. The State Alchemist program, it's all been a lie! You're using it as a tool to recruit your sacrifices. I can no longer sit idly by and play party to your sick schemes! I'm going to expose you; I'll bring the other State Alchemists in on what you're doing. Then I'm going to stop you; I swear if it takes my last breath I will stop you before you can hurt anyone else! I hereby resign my commission as a State Alchemist!" Edward declared in rage.

He then took out his silver pocket watch and tossed it onto the table in front of the Fuhrer.

"Ah, the symbol of the dogs of the military." Bradley said picking up the watch and looking over its blood encrusted surface with placid delight.

"If that's what you want to do, so be it. Step out that door, go reveal to the country that their beloved Fuhrer is a homunculus and see if they believe you. While you're at it you might want to get your automail checked by that delightful young engineer friend of yours. What's her name? Ah yes, Winry Rockbell." Fuhrer Bradley said without the slightest bit of agitation.

How odd was it for the living embodiment of Wrath to always be so cheerful and pleasant all the time. His rage had to be burning unseen beneath the surface for the man behind the homunculus must have had enormous self-discipline. Now Edward could recognize a veiled threat when he heard one.

"It was I who invited her to visit Central. I would have you know that much." Bradley cautioned Edward.

"Leave her out of this!" Edward shouted slamming his fist on the table.

"That's all up to you. Now you may want to think twice about your decision so I'll ask you again." Fuhrer Bradley said sliding the pocketwatch over to Edward.

Edward growled under his breath and clenched his fist; beads of sweat formed at his brow. With great hesitation he reluctantly took back the pocketwatch symbolizing his commission as a State Alchemist.

"Excellent. Now the two of you can continue to look for a way to restore your bodies, in fact I would encourage it so long as you do not interfere with our plans." Fuhrer Bradley told the Elrics.

He then turned towards Mustang "What about you Colonel. You wouldn't be so brash as to resign your commission would you?" Bradley asked him.

"Well, I suppose whatever kind of bind you have me in is preferable to giving up. I still have my ambitions; who you are and whatever your plans are don't change that. I'm keeping my rank too." Colonel Mustang declared.

"Very good Colonel. That's the spirit." Fuhrer Bradley chuckled.

"Then it's settled. I believe we have nothing further to discuss. Elrics, you're dismissed." the Fuhrer declared.

Ed, Al and Mustang stood up. "Not you Colonel, I believe we have something special planned for you. Something that might help with those ambitions of yours." the Fuhrer stopped him.

Ed and Al slowly walked out of the room while Mustang froze in his tracks looking away from the Fuhrer.

"That is, if you will take it." Fuhrer Bradley continued.

"If I'm going to help you I need to know one thing." Mustang said coldly looking down towards the ground.

"What is that Colonel?" the Fuhrer inquired.

"Are you the one who murdered Brigadier General Hughes?" Mustang asked.

The Fuhrer took a sip of his tea and set it back down on the table. "No. I wasn't. That was someone else." Bradley replied.

As those words were spoken Envy smirked though his expression went unnoticed by Mustang and by the Elrics who stopped in the doorway at that moment.

"Who did?" Mustang asked as Envy shooed away the Elrics and the door closed behind them.

"I believe I answered all queries I am obliged to answer today." Fuhrer Bradley replied.

"So are you in or are you out?" Bradley asked Mustang.

"I'm in." Mustang declared, clenching his fist at his side then raising his head and turning to face the Fuhrer.

Bradley finished his tea and grinned pleasantly while Envy assumed his preferred form and approached Colonel Mustang from behind.


	11. Chapter 11: Running the Blockade

Chapter XI: Running the Blockade

The _Centurion Eagle_ left orbit and moved away from the forgotten world. Before they could engage their hyperdrive a Star Destroyer appeared in front of them. The presence of the large vessel dropping out of lightspeed invalidated their current course and prevented them from immediately escaping to lightspeed themselves.

"Where the heck did that thing come from?" exclaimed Boram.

"Lando recalibrate the hyperdrive and get us the hell out of here." Boram shouted to his son.

The Star Destroyer wasted no time in launching a handful of TIE Interceptors to run down the _Centurion Eagle_ as it was attempting to flee.

A voice message was broadcast to the _Eagle_ "This is the Imperial Star Destroyer _Relentless_. Unidentified vessel, you are trespassing in a restricted system. Lower your shields and disengage your weapons systems. Our fighters will guide you to the main hangar. There your vessel will be searched and any contraband seized. If you are not found in violation of any Imperial code you will be taken outside the restricted zone and released. Follow these orders precisely and you will not be harmed."

"So what are we going to do?" asked Han.

"We can try to run. That's really all we can do." Lando said.

"You better be one hell of a pilot dad because if we make one mistake before jumping to lightspeed it's all over."

"I can do it just bear with me guys. When we get out of here remember that the Empire's just logged our ship. They're going to be looking for us so we're going to have to lay low for a while until the heat dies down." Boram told the others

"I'm assuming that means we're going to have to wait to cash in on our treasure?" Lando asked.

"Bingo son. Making the buyer wait always jacks up the price he's willing to pay though, we could use that to our advantage." Boram replied.

"Or it totally pisses him off to where they freeze you in carbonite for a few hundred years." Han interjected.

"Unidentified craft turn around immediately or you will be fired upon." the Star Destroyer broadcast to them.

Mere seconds later they were hit by one of several shots from the Star Destroyer's turbolaser batteries. The energy bolts exploded upon contact with the _Centurion Eagle's_ shields jolting the craft slightly this way and that. Meanwhile the TIE Interceptors having closed much of the gap between them and the _Centurion Eagle_ as it changed course were now tailing almost within weapons range.

"I hope you have a hyperspace solution soon son. Those TIEs are gaining on us." Boram called back to his son.

The ship jolted as it took another blast. "The shields are holding." Han reported.

"Perhaps I could be of assistance." Father said entering the cockpit behind them.

"Not unless you can turn yourself invisible when they search us. You and that stone of yours is probably what they're after." Boram replied.

"I cannot do that but I can do this." Father said as he turned back around.

"What? Leave? I don't get it what's he doing?" asked Han.

Meanwhile four of the TIE fighters began shooting at them, landing glancing blows on the _Eagle'_ s shields. Boram took evasive action to dodge the TIE Interceptors' relentless attacks. As he banked and turned to escape the fighters the Star Destroyer having held a steady course was able to close in. As laser blasts peppered the weakening shields of the _Centurion Eagle_ Father crawled into the lower gun turret at the center of the _Eagle_ with a line of sight towards the Star Destroyer and the TIE Interceptors. He reached out with the Force and moved one of the Star Destroyer's turbolaser batteries and made it shoot four of the TIE interceptors that were the closest to the _Centurion Eagle_ first thereby eliminating the immediate threat. The same turret then redirected its attack and one by one took out all of the TIEs and gave the Eagle a clear path of escape. Now that they no longer had to maneuver out of the firing path of the TIEs the Centurion Eagle could outrun the Star Destroyer and jump to lightspeed once they were clear with a confirmed flight plan.

"Some shot! They're shooting their own now?" exclaimed Boram.

"No that was my doing." Father spoke to them after stealthily reemerging into the cockpit.

"You made their guns do that? What are you? Some kind of Jedi?" Han sarcastically asked.

"A Jedi, so that is what you call it here. Fascinating." Father replied as stoically as ever.

Han did not for a second believe that the Homunculus had anything to do with that Star Destroyer's misfire. He had as much faith in Jedi magic as he did in rainbow belching unicorns and wish granting faeries on the Outer Rim. Han preferred things he could see, feel and touch to the whimsical spiritual ways of the Force. Whereas Han was joking the Homunculus took the Jedi comment seriously. These were the people he would seek out to learn the secrets of this new power pervading the cosmos in this realm. These "Jedi" held the secrets he needed to return home, or if that was impossible to become a god over this realm. He would master the Force in all its essence all the while growing more powerful and replenishing his stone. Once he had achieved the power to do so he knew there had to be a way for him to consume the Force and make its energies exclusively his own. Many a Jedi master would say Father did not understand the ways of the Force but the Homunculus was determined to prove them wrong.

"Do you have a hyperspace solution yet son?" Boram shouted.

"Almost dad just give me a second." Lando shouted back.

Meanwhile Father slinked back into the gun turret and waited to see when the next wave of TIE fighters would be sent their way. The _Centurion Eagle_ was too fast and already too far away for the TIEs to be much of a threat now.

"All this trouble because of me?" wondered the Homunculus.

He certainly scared those humans didn't he? Putting such immense vessels on perpetual alert to seal him in his tomb seemed to be overkill for just one petty Force user wasn't it. Oh but the Emperor knew the Homunculus was much more than that. In this world it seemed they didn't underestimate him the way they did on the plane in which he had come from. They could have been smarter here, more perceptive but the smartest ant is still just an ant to him and that was all humans were to him, tiny, insignificant ants.

"Hyperspace coordinates locked it. Ready to go to lightspeed." Lando reported.

"We've got ourselves another Star Destroyer bearing. . ." Han started to report as a second Star Destroyer joined the first from behind.

"It doesn't matter our course is still set." Lando interrupted Han.

"Let's do it! Strap yourself in." Boram shouted back to him.

"Here we go!" Boram exclaimed as he initiated the hyperdrive and the Centurion Eagle jumped to lightspeed.

They had now escaped the Imperial blockade with their precious cargo intact. Their next move was to blend in somewhere, become invisible to the prying eyes of the Empire because whatever they acquired from the enigmatic creature on this lost and dismal world was highly coveted by the Empire as well. Little did the merry band of treasure hunters know just what it was that they had shipped off this long forgotten rock. For in that moment there was a great disturbance in the Force.


	12. Chapter 12: Charitable Ambitions

Chapter XII: Charitable Ambitions

Wrath and Envy took Mustang down to meet the being that they believed to be Father. Wrath led the way while Envy followed behind Mustang, shoving him if the Colonel's pace became too slow.

"Where are we going?" asked Mustang as they descended down the long winding flights of stairs.

"That's for us to know." Envy replied in a condescending tone.

At the bottom of the stair they entered into a grand open chamber with cold stone walls on one face and an elaborate system of gears, pipes and machinery on the other side. The featureless domed chamber connecting to the sewers was lower that the area where the machinery resided. At the base of the juncture between the cold stone floors and the living clockwork engine was a thick, simple throne upon a raised platform with a great multitude of tubes and pipes running between it, the wall and the floor. Seated on the throne was the being that the Homunculi called Father. Gluttony stood in the open domed area smiling like a cheerful simpleton and otherwise doing nothing. The newly born Homunculi also stood around, gradually acclimating themselves to their surroundings and the state of physical existence in its entirety. These new Homunculi, the expelled remnant virtue of a Sith lord had a different aura to them that the others. Rather than a stinging cold malevolent presence these Homunculi seemed warm and inviting. Wrath, sensing this, was disgusted by them. They were everything the original Homunculi despised about humanity only multiplied tenfold. Though they were his supposed brethren Wrath already hated them with a passion. As he and Envy led Mustang into the amphitheater Wrath's clenched fist shook with rage. They stopped facing Vader and presented Mustang to him.

Envy shoved Mustang forward causing him to stumble a bit as he caught his balance. "Kneel you pathetic human!" Envy commanded.

Mustang looked down, then looked back over his shoulder at Envy with a mildly irritated look about him.

"I said kneel you worm!" Envy ordered.

"That won't be necessary." Vader declared.

With a stoic, thoughtless, feelingless gaze Vader, dwelling within the shell of Father looked over Mustang. "Your pride is indeed strong. Good, it will provide balance for your optimization." Vader stated showing but a small hint of amusement.

Though his ultimate eye was covered Wrath could detect something was amiss here. The being upon Father's throne, something had changed. He looked like Father yet Wrath could sense that something was now, different about him. Briefly flipping up his eyepatch in a move that made it look as if he was scratching his forehead only deepened his suspicion that Father was not well. All this time he had taken Envy's word for what Father had become. He had seen Father's new shape after the incident with both his eyes now. With his powers of perception he could tell for certain something was not right with him. Still he could not pin it down for Father, or whatever Father had become was immensely powerful and could shield his truth for even Wrath's ultimate eye. He could only perceive the vessel in which he resided, a vessel that had only recently been reconstructed. Envy had told him that before he regenerated Father was a mess of wires, leather and unidentifiable materials. Was this how Father truly was at his core or was this another shell? Wrath had believed that Father's true form was like Pride, shadowy, formless, shapeless, a creature of the Void. It was just as easily believed that such a statement was of Pride's own hubris declaring to the other Homunculi that he was closest to Father and thereby superior to the others by right. "That would be just like Pride." Wrath chuckled as he thought to himself. Still an even more disturbing possibility existed. Father had originated from the darkness beyond the Gate; could he have been drug back from whence he came and replaced by another among the children of the Void?

Wrath's train of thought soon turned back to the issue with Mustang. Vader stood up and examined him further up close then took several steps back.

"This is the vessel you have brought me?" Vader inquired.

"Yes. He would be quite eager to do it and a willing host is much more likely to survive the process." Wrath answered.

Mustang seemed perturbed but he kept his composure so the homunculi could not notice. "Host", "Survive the process" what were they going to do to him? Mustang started to think more like this was not a good idea. What was he going to do now though? He could not escape; there was only one of him and ten of them, each a being of immense power.

Wrath turned back to Colonel Mustang. "I know all about your ambitions Colonel; about how you want to take my place and rule Amestris as your own." Wrath told him.

"How could he have known?" thought Mustang. He thought he had done a good job of keeping his intentions on the down low enough to avoid drawing the ire of those he meant to depose and displace. Was someone in his inner circle spying on him? Did they get to someone and make him break?

As Mustang went through all the scenarios in his min Wrath continued to address him. "While I may be a Homunculus this old body of mine won't be around forever. Eventually my time will come." Wrath informed him in a pleasant fashion most unbecoming of someone speaking of their own death.

"When that time comes I would like to have someone ready to replace me, to avoid any period of uncertainty among my subjects while a new candidate is selected to bear my essence. Who better than you?" Wrath explained.

"There is just one small problem; you're only human. Since the founding of Amestris no human has ever ruled, the mere thought of it sickens me." Wrath declared.

"You see Mustang, if you want to rule with us you will first have to become one of us." Wrath said.

And with those words Gluttony got behind Mustang and held Mustang's arms behind his back in a stiff hold to keep the Colonel in place.

"If I can become a Homunculus from a mere man and you think yourself worthy to hold a candle to me then you should have no problem doing the same." Wrath angrily chuckled.

"If you're Wrath, he's Envy and the fat one is obviously Gluttony what are you going to make me, Lust?" Mustang joked as he struggled against Gluttony's hold.

"Oooo Lust!" Gluttony excitedly exclaimed.

"No. I have but one aspect remaining to be purged and I shall purge it into you." Vader said as he held his hand out above Mustang's head. Meanwhile Envy walked up alongside Mustang and forcefully tilted his head back and held open his mouth. Vader clenched his fist tightly. A bright pink ooze was secreted from his pores along his forearm and formed into a single round bead, a Philosopher's Stone in Vader's palm as he once again opened his hand.

"Roy Mustang, you will be the vessel for my charity." declared Vader as he turned his palm downward and allowed the stone to drop down into Mustang's gullet.

"How fitting for someone whose ambitions are to rule for the betterment of others. You make me sick." Wrath chided Mustang.

"Let's see if he's strong enough to take it." Wrath said as Mustang started to shake and convulse as the stone began to join with his being, battling with his soul over the control of his body.

Wrath looked away, disgruntled as Mustang was released by the other Homunculi and allowed to finish the transformation in agony. After minutes of vicious convulsions and screams of horrendous pain Mustang fell silent, face down on the ground. His body remained still and steaming for several minutes, presumed to be dead by the other Homunculi.

"Weakling." Wrath grumbled.

"Oh well, we'll just have to find another one." Envy said nonchalantly kicking Mustang's body before turning to walk away.

Just then Mustang began to move, first a twitch, then a reach of the arm, then his chest began to move. With a crackled of light a blue ouroboros tattoo appeared on the inside of Mustang's right palm. And with that Lord Vader's catharsis was complete.

Mustang then slowly pushed himself up to his knees "Giving up so soon Envy?" Mustang asked.

"Hmmph, perhaps the kid's got a little fight in him after all." Wrath laughed and turned back to observe Mustang standing up.

"If you're going to give me a gift it would be rude of me not to take it." Mustang replied.

Wrath knew that it was Mustang speaking there and not Charity, making clear mention of the mighty power which he had just been imbued with. Wrath knew not the nature of Mustang's acquired power only that he was now Homunculus and with that Mustang was far greater than he ever was as a human.

"Excellent, now you better not think of pursuing your own treasonous ends with your newfound power." Wrath said.

"Why would I betray you? We are spirit brothers." Mustang, now speaking as Charity replied.

"Spirit brothers, psssht! Even as a homunculus you disgust me." Wrath derisively remarked.

Wrath turned away from Mustang and towards Vader looking disgusted. "I still don't like your attitude Mustang, but at least now I know we're all playing for the same team." Wrath commented.

In truth Vader's children were deeply conflicted. Their very natures went against the desires of their master and their older brethren. Vader and the other homunculi were the pure essence of sin which was abhorrent to the Homunculi of Virtue. However betrayal of one's benefactor was also against their virtuous nature as well. Therefore their natured conflicted with itself and they were left in a bind from which they unequivocally chose to serve their father. Love thy maker; it was a stronger impulse than any of the negativity that proceeded from their dark father and his stepchildren. It wasn't their intrinsic attributes but their unwavering devotion to Vader that bound the new homunculi to hesitantly serve their dark father's purposes.

Vader had now achieved something that no Sith Lord in history had ever done, perfect communion with the Dark Side. This would give him immeasurable power as he now for this one moment in time had absolute access to the darkness in its entirety. He could draw upon the very essence of the Void itself. Palpatine's power was but a flickering shadow in the light compared to the total pitch darkness which his apprentice could now embrace and with much focus and perseverance command. Vader's dark purity would not last however; a flaw was already developing perhaps in response to the light energies of the Virtuous as they left him. Upon the living philosopher's stone that formed his second skin another aspect of Vader's will was independently divesting itself from him. From his darkest depths the nascent form of a renewed Lust was growing. Soon she would be given physical form and join her brothers. She wouldn't be the Lust that Gluttony remembered. That personality and all those memories were lost with the death of the original Lust; she was an entirely different creation. She would be like her former counterpart in essence however. This one flaw, however slight would be enough to halt Vader from becoming the Sith demigod he was poised to be. When the new Lust was born Vader would shift slightly from the shadow and into the grey, the pure stoic rationality that the original Father had longed to attain. Ironic it seemed that he was fulfilling Father's wishes inadvertently once again.


	13. Chapter 13: Fear and Order

Chapter XIII: Fear and Order

Imperial Throne World Coruscant

The Emperor sat complacent upon his throne, the literal seat of power in the galaxy, with his back to the hyper urban core world of Coruscant. It was at this time he would acknowledge those paying tribute to his rule and address the requests of his subjects. The first to approach him was one of his loyal Senators within the Imperial Senate, the token remnant of the Republic's political structure that did little more than give the people their, traditions.

"My Lord I believe the time has come to drop this charade and abolish the Senate outright. Those loyal to you await your hand to act." the Senator advised.

"The Senate is little more than a figurehead. Let it persist; it remains an opiate for the masses and a powerful counter to the propaganda of the Alliance." the Emperor declined his counsel and sent the Senator away.

Next entered one of his fleet commanders, Vice Admiral Thrawn. The blue skinned, stern faced statue of a man was a tactical and strategic genius, having beaten the Alliance in every engagement he faced them in. His battlefield successes were sufficient to overcome the most deep seeded species-biases that dominated the Imperial leadership. As such he was the only non-human to attain such a high rank in the Imperial Starfleet. According to Palpatine's own pleasure with his actions his rise to prominence had merely just begun.

"Your report Admiral." the Emperor demanded.

"Battle Fleet 37 is now ready and set to engage the rebel forces at Mon Calamari. The spies on Sullust have been apprehended and executed per your command. I have just sent my flagship along with the 104th TIE Fighter Wing into spacedock for repairs and upgrades. Furthermore when I was there Kuat Drive Yards informed me they are requesting more funding for the completion of our new Super class Star Destroyers." Thrawn reported.

"Tell them they shall have their funding." the Emperor sharply responded.

"As you command my lord." Thrawn replied, bowing even so slightly at the waist.

As he turned to leave, presuming the Emperor had dismissed him he was stopped "Admiral." said the Emperor.

"Yes my lord?" Thrawn replied stopping and turning around to face his liege.

"Forget about Battle Fleet 37. I have a less capable commander that can deal with the worms on Mon Calamari. When our prototype Super Star Destroyer is complete I want you to lead a fleet into the Unknown Regions and bring the systems there under our thumb. My reign shall extend further than the Republic's ever did." Emperor Palpatine commanded.

"As you command." Thrawn obediently replied.

"You may go now Admiral." Palpatine dismissed him.

When the Admiral had departed another of the Empire's senior military officials entered into the throne room.

"Grand Moff Tarkin has arrived as you requested my lord." the official informed him.

"Send him in." Palpatine replied.

The official left and sent for Tarkin to enter into the Emperor's presence.

"What progress have you made?" the Emperor inquired.

"Construction is nearly complete. All systems will be fully operational within two standard years. If all goes well in the testing phase we will have the Death Star active in our arsenal no longer than three." Tarkin reported.

"Good, good." the Emperor cackled.

"I have just the location for your weapon's test. The ruling family of Alderaan has been secretly giving support to the rebel scum." the Emperor told Tarkin.

"They think that I do not know about their treachery but they are sorely mistaken." he continued speaking in a softer, gentler tone now.

"A mistake they will pay dearly for!" the Emperor raised his voice and firmly declared.

"I will see to it that Alderaan becomes the first demonstration of our power. Jedi or no Jedi once our Death Star is complete the Rebel Alliance will be no more. Fear will keep our subject worlds in line, fear of this battle station. Your rule will be absolute my lord." Tarkin assured him.

It was known among the Imperial High Command that the loss of Vader had diminished the might and dread upon of the Empire and strengthened the resolve of the Rebel Alliance to overthrow Palpatine and reestablish democracy throughout the former domains of the Republic. Tarkin believed that once the Death Star came online the Emperor would see that they did not need exclusive mastery of the Force in order to rule. More conventional means of might would be sufficient to enforce Palpatine's will across the stars.

"Excellent." Palpatine said. "You may go now." he dismissed Tarkin.

Tarkin did a sharp about face and walked past the Imperial Guard towards the main entrance to the throne room and exited the chamber. When Tarkin was gone one of the Emperor's advisors turned to him and whispered to him.

"It is believed that the Alliance has spies within Tarkin's operation. We do not yet know who they are but it is only a matter of time before the Jedi infiltrate that battle station and sabotage our plans." the advisor warned.

"The Jedi shall not interfere. I shall see to that." Palpatine declared.

He turned to his left where his Emperor's Hand, Selene waited on his every whim, still as a statue. "Selene, ready your Jedi Hunters!" he commanded.

Selene turned away from the Emperor and called out into the chamber. "Captains of the Jedi Hunters! Present yourselves before your Emperor!" she ordered.

From a door along a railed off catwalk in the Emperor's throne room a dozen of the Empire's prized Jedi Hunters, Force sensitive individuals, highly trained in the deadly arts whose one purpose in life was to cleanse the galaxy of the vaunted Jedi Order

Among those presented was Selene's charge, Mara Jade. Mara Jade, now a young woman had taken her place in the Emperor's service as an apprentice among the Jedi Hunters. She had shown remarkable talent from such an early age to the extent that now the Emperor was ready for her to take her place among his most elite warriors.

"You have each trained tirelessly for many years in preparation for this moment. Today you shall take your first steps to the eradication of the last vestiges of the wretched filth that infects the galaxy. The Jedi Knights have long been protectors of the corrupt, servants of the unwise. Today they shall meet their end!" the Emperor orated, to a resounding shout of confidence from the freshly commissioned Jedi Hunters. "Their end at your hand!" he continued to a second vivacious shout.

"Go now and bring an end to the accursed Jedi Order once and for all!" the Emperor dismissed them with a rousing cry.

"Selene, bring young Mara Jade to me." Palpatine quietly advised his Hand as the enthused Jedi Hunters exited the throne room.

Mara Jade was brought before the Emperor and knelt down with her eyes to the ground with Selene by her side. With a wave of his hand the Emperor dismissed his guards and had the doors sealed. Soon it was only he, Selene and the young Mara Jade present in the throne room.

"Rise." the Emperor commanded.

Mara Jade slowly rose to her feet and looked the Emperor in the eyes. "Mara Jade, I believe you are ready to make your first kill. I shall not be a Jedi though." the Emperor told her.

"Selene, do you recall the entity we faced upon the Sith Holy world?" Palpatine asked his hand.

"I do my liege." Selene replied. It had been a long time since that day, evident by the fact Selene's raven black hair was now streaked with strands of fine silver.

"One of our Star Destroyers has reported the craft of a rogue pillager departing that world several standard days ago. Our forces searched the surface of the world and found no trace of the accursed entity that we summoned from the ashes of lord Vader. We can only assume that it escaped its confines with the raiders and now roams the galaxy freely." the Emperor explained.

"I want you to take Mara Jade, track this creature down and destroy it." the Emperor commanded.

He had not forgotten the sleight he received at the hands of the one eyed being of darkness. It was because of it that his rule was still far from absolute; it was because of that thing there were still Jedi who drew breath. It was because of that monster that his apprentice, the one chosen by the Force and forged in the strength of the Dark Side, had met his unfortunate end. The Emperor did not forget and he never forgave. The Homunculus would meet his gruesome and final end at the hand of his Hand. Selene took Mara Jade and made preparations to travel to the Outer Rim in search of the wretched entity. All the while during his direction of his expanding dominion the Emperor would eagerly await their return with news of the fell creature's demise.


	14. Chapter 14: the Fuhrer's Son

Chapter XIV: The Fuhrer's Son

Edward found his brother in the library, engrossed by a stack of rather voluminous tomes. The books were a quite dated repository of alchemical knowledge handed down from times which preceded the founding of Amestris. The one which Alphonse was reading was particularly old.

"Hey Al, what'cha reading?" Edward asked.

"It's about something called Alkahestry; it's a form of alchemy they practice in Xing. They say it is highly adapted for medical purposes." Alphonse answered.

"Medical purposes huh? You suppose anything in there could help us get our bodies back?" Edward asked in return, reaching around and scratching the back of his head with a smile upon his face.

"Maybe but we would need an adept Alkahest to teach us. This is written from an outsider's perspective and doesn't really give all the ins and outs of the art." Alphonse explained.

"That girl with the funny cat, she was from Xing right?" Edward asked.

"Yeah." Alphonse replied.

"And she used that funny alchemy of hers which means she could be a Xingese Alkahest. Perhaps if we find her she can teach us?" Edward concluded.

"But where would we find her, she took off before we woke up the other day?" Alphonse inquired.

"We ask around. That creepy cat thing of her is a dead giveaway. If anyone has seen it they certainly wouldn't forget it and that could lead us right to her." Edward answered.

"Oh my gosh! It really is you! The fullmetal alchemist!" a child's voice burst in and startled the Elric brothers.

They turned to see a young boy standing in front of and between them across the table beaming with excitement as if he had just met his favorite celebrity. Then again the Elrics were something of celebrities around her Edward supposed, only they didn't seem to get all the credit they deserved.

"Actually I'm not the Fullmetal Alchemist, . ." Alphonse began to explain.

"You're his brother! I know! The little one is actually the Fullmetal Alchemist." the boy completed Alphonse's sentence.

"Hey!" Edward shouted in protest.

"Oh my gosh! He even gets mad when you call him little just like they said they would!" the kid cheered.

"Hey!" Edward protested again.

"Calm down brother. He's just a fan of our work I guess. I suppose we should give him an autograph or something?" Alphonse suggested.

"Yes, yes, please do!" the boy cheerfully replied.

Alphonse took up a pen and paper. "Who should I make this out to?" Alphonse asked.

"Selim. Selim Bradley." the boy answered gleefully.

"Bradley? As in King Bradley? The Fuhrer of our country?" Edward asked.

"Yep that's the one! My dad is responsible for this entire country! It's a big and important job yep." Selim replied.

Ed and Al looked at each other and inwardly gasped. They knew now that they had to be careful about what they said in front of the boy lest he inadvertently told his father what they were up to and thereby incurred the Fuhrer's displeasure or wrath if you will. So Edward and Alphonse dutifully signed an autograph for the little boy who accepted it with a cheerful smile.

"What are you reading there? I bet it's something really cool about alchemy right?" Selim asked excitedly.

"Well, um, actually it's about something called Alkahestry; it's a form of alchemy they practice in Xing." Alphonse confessed.

"Xingese alkahestry? Why would you want to study foreign alchemy when Amestris is a major alchemical power right here?" Selim asked.

Alphonse thought on his feet and came up with a reasonable enough answer without much hesitation. "They say Alkahestry is adapted specifically for medical purposes." Alphonse answered.

"So we think it might help us to get our bodies back." Edward added, which wasn't far from the truth.

"Oh I see! In case the Philosopher's Stone turns out not to be real after all. My father says it doesn't exist but if anyone can find it I know that it will be the Fullmetal Alchemist and his big brother!" Selim replied.

"Hey! I am the big brother!" Edward protested.

Alphonse grabbed Edward by the shoulders before he could draw attention to himself with that outburst.

"Hey! I got an idea! How about you two come join me and my parents for dinner tonight? I can't wait to show him that I know the Fullmetal Alchemist!" Selim invited them.

"I'd love to go but I think the Fuhrer is too busy now to be bothered by us." Edward said hesitantly shrugging off the child's request.

"Great! Then I'll see you there! Don't be late!" Selim accepted the invitation for them and left without giving them time to back out of the arrangement.

"Great, now it looks like we have to go." Edward quietly complained.

"The Fuhrer, I hope he's not still mad at us!" Alphonse said with a gulp.

"Nah, he'll be over it. We just got to keep our heads down and act like we're not meddling in their business. Play the good little dog card just for a night and we'll be alright. Besides we might just learn something over there." Edward replied.

"We'll have the boy with us and you know the Fuhrer won't do something so rash in front of a kid that admires him that much." Edward added.

"If that is Fuhrer Bradley's son?" Alphonse remarked.

"Yeah." Edward whispered. There was something odd about it. Fuhrer Bradley was a homunculus, he shouldn't be able to have children. He shouldn't be able to show the appearance of aging either but he did. Tonight's meeting might leave them with more questions than answers.

"Something doesn't add up. I didn't even think that the Fuhrer could have children because you know." Edward told Alphonse being careful not to say anything which if overheard could land him in a world of trouble.

"I know what you mean brother." Alphonse replied.

"Just keep your eyes open." Edward cautioned him.

"Right." Alphonse agreed.

The brothers then went back to studying their textbook tomes until it was time to get ready and go over to the Fuhrer's estate for dinner at the behest of his son.

When they arrived that evening they were seated in the living room in comfortable chairs across from the Fuhrer's wife while Selim played with toys on the carpet between them.

"Well Selim certainly has taken a liking to you. You two seem to be all he talks about these days, other than his father that is." Mrs. Bradley confessed.

"Oh that reminds me Mom, can I show them the report I did for school on my dad?" Selim jovially burst out and said.

"Why certainly son. I believe you left it upstairs in your room." Mrs. Bradley replied.

Selim ran off and left his mother alone with the Elrics.

"Speaking of his dad is the Fuhrer here?" asked Edward.

"No but he should be along shortly. The affairs of state keep him quite busy you know." Mrs. Bradley replied followed by a long silence while they waited for Selim to return.

"Are you going to ask why he doesn't look like his father?" Mrs. Bradley broke the silence and asked.

"No, we didn't even think. . ." Alphonse replied as if almost in shock. Like she knew they were suspicious. Did she know the truth about what her husband was?

"It's because Selim is adopted." Mrs. Bradley told them. "You seem me and my husband were never able to have children so we took in Selim. He needed a good home and well I needed someone to care for when my husband was out managing the country." she went on to explain."

"Oh, I never even noticed the lack of resemblance until you brought it up but now that you mention it, yeah." Edward calmly and softly responded.

"Oh it's quite alright. Selim really is a sweet kid, sometimes a tad to enthusiastic but that's our boy." Mrs. Bradley gleefully said.

The front doors opened turning Ed and Al's attention away from Mrs. Bradley and in the direction of the sound. They were then startled but by no means surprised to see Fuhrer Bradley heading in their direction, as stern and iron faced as ever. His countenance softened when his wife got up and approached him.

"How lovely it is to see you dear." she said taking hold of his right hand with both of her hands and beaming radiantly up towards him. "As you see our son has brought guests over for dinner." she continued pointing one open hand towards the Elric brothers.

"Ah the Elric brothers, how pleasant it is to see the two of you here." King Bradley greeted them pleasantly as if he had completely forgotten their earlier affair in Central Command.

The Elrics started to get up but were rebuked by the Fuhrer. "No need to get up. We're off duty now." he said.

"Seeing as you're my guests how about I offer you a cup of tea before dinner." Bradley offered.

"It's really not necessary sir." Alphonse politely refused.

"Nonsense. It would be my pleasure." Bradley insisted.

He then left to prepare fresh brewed tea leaving the Elrics with his wife for a few minutes. Fuhrer Bradley then returned with the tea just as Selim was coming back downstairs. Selim dropped his materials and ran to hug his father's leg almost causing him to drop the tea if the Fuhrer's dexterity and balance hadn't been so great.

"Hey dad! You'd never guess who I ran into at the library today!" Selim exclaimed as he backed away and beamed up at his father.

"Judging by what I see here I'd say the Elric brothers." the Fuhrer replied as he handed out the tea and set the pot down on the coffee table beside his reclining chair.

"Yep!" Selim said.

"My boy, he quite idolizes you two. You wouldn't believe how many times he has asked me to introduce him to the both of you." Fuhrer Bradley said.

"Yeah, but he never would." Selim added.

"Now, now. The Elrics are very busy doing important alchemical research for the State. I can't interrupt their work just so you can swoon all over them." Bradley told his son.

"But I suppose I can't stop you from finding them yourself." Bradley said with a hearty, pleasant laugh.

The way the Fuhrer was with his family, or really the way he was in general, outside of the realm of battle was so different than he truly was. Looking at him now one would have no idea this elder war hero was the living embodiment of Wrath. If the Elrics didn't know better they would think the Fuhrer was a kind man and a good father but they knew the harsh cold reality of who this man was deep inside. They knew his malevolence even if it did not show on the outside.

The brothers sat in the midst of awkward conversation while having tea with the Fuhrer, the homunculus who ruled their country. Selim showed the brothers his school presentation on his number one role model, who after all the boy had swooned over the Elrics this evening was surprisingly not them. It was his father, the Fuhrer, a more appropriate choice. If only the eager little kid knew who exactly he was idolizing here. Edward held his tongue, for the boy's sake and for his own. Sowing discord in the Bradley household would have been an offense that would no doubt cost him his life.

"And that's why my dad is the greatest person in the whole wide world." Selim concluded.

"Settle down there my boy. I'm sure the Elrics didn't come all this way just to hear about me." Fuhrer Bradley modestly remarked, blushing a bit with the laugh lines showing in his face.

"That's quite alright. You're his father so it's only natural he looks up to you." Edward said feigning good cheer.

"And you're the most important person in the country." Alphonse added.

The Fuhrer grinned deeply and held his palm out as if to say "Enough, Enough. Enough with the flattery." Selim then picked up his materials and returned them to his room. Shortly thereafter the dinner meal was ready. They were served roast duck and herb dumplings with a side of steamed carrots and asparagus. The dinner conversation was just as trivial and fluffy as afternoon tea was. It was also unnerving with the Elrics and the Fuhrer both fully aware of the cards each other held. They both were undoubtedly performing an act to get through the night, an act which the Fuhrer was far better at performing. Still there were no noticeable slip ups and when the dinner was concluded all seemed well. They thanked Selim and the Bradleys' for their hospitality and went to the door. Whew, Alphonse thought thinking they had just dodged a bullet. It had been a time of heavy tension for what should have been a light and pleasant evening.

Bradley showed the Elrics out and walked them to the iron outer gates of his sprawling palatial estate. The gaslights around the patio and along the walkway provided a calming glow as did the young fireflies buzzing about this early summer's eve. The night air was calm and quiet. The sound of cars, foot traffic and the city nightlife was a distance removed from the Fuhrer's household. They stopped at the gates and just as the Fuhrer reached out to open them to let the Elrics out he stopped and focused back upon the boys with a glaring look that had clearly lost the image of his daily masquerade.

"The two of you did not make any mention to my family of what you may or may not have seen concerning the military and happenings in Central?" the Fuhrer asked them plainly but without incriminating words lest anyone unseen be listening in.

"No sir. Not one word." Edward replied.

"Good. See to it that it stays that way." the Fuhrer said sternly.

He then became more somber, almost longing or nostalgic in his voice and mannerisms. He resumed his charade with a deep breath only it wasn't a charade. There was a deep emotion to the Fuhrer's words that followed, one that was sincere. It appeared Wrath had a heart after all; there was still some humanity left in this Homunculus. He exhaled with his eyes closed and then spoke plainly to the brothers.

"It is true. That so much has been appointed to me since I took the role of Fuhrer. My wife however, that was the one thing I was allowed to choose for myself." Bradley explained. "I would rather she stay unaware of the way the world really works. Her life would be a happier one that way." he continued.

"As for the two of you keep your mouths shut and your nose clean. Good luck on your research boys." the Fuhrer said opening the door and dismissing the Elrics.

Once the Elrics had left Fuhrer Bradley ambled about his palatial estate that night. The sun went down and the deep purple velvet sky turned to black. The glow of the gaslights became more profound. After a lengthy stroll the Fuhrer stopped near the corner of his inner garden next to an ornate gaslight on a tall pole. The gaslight pole was connected to two pairs of wooden latticework separating the patio of the Fuhrer's estate from the garden. Opposite the latticework were the beige plaster walls of the Fuhrer's mansion home and between the two a cobblestone walkway forming a scene of simple elegance in which the Fuhrer was at its center. The shadows danced off the walls broken by the glow of the flickering flame within the gaslight while the Fuhrer remained standing there, as if waiting for someone.

All of the sudden he spoke into the darkness. "Father has not been himself lately. Have you noticed anything strange about him Pride?" Fuhrer Bradley asked.

"You mean other than the new Homunculi?" a voice replied coming from out of nowhere.

The sound of the voice had no clear origin point; it was as if it came from all around him as he stood in the shadowy twilight path.

"That too. It is unlike Father to wish to purge his purer elements from his being. As if he possessed them to begin with. The desire in reverse should have been expelled just the same with our inception." Fuhrer Bradley stated.

"He doesn't quite exude the same presence he once did. He seems more, cast down to Earth if you will." Bradley said.

"He seems different. More like us if you will. As if through his second catharsis his passions had been retained. Nor does he seem to possess further knowledge concerning the plan." Bradley continued.

"That is disconcerting. Were you there when it happened?" Pride asked from out of the air.

"No. Envy and Gluttony were with him." the Fuhrer replied.

"Idiots. Those two would believe anything." Pride disdainfully criticized his brothers.

"Yes and that is what has me troubled. I need you to look more closely into the matter. If something is wrong with Father I need to know." Wrath said.

"I will see what I can find." Pride replied from the shadowy void of the darkness between the flames.

"What about the Elrics? I see they are snooping around again." Pride asked, changing the subject.

"Keep an eye on them but nothing more. See that no harm comes to them. Father had great plans for them." the Fuhrer answered him.

Great plans indeed, that is if Father was still Father. If whatever misfortune that had befallen their creator had affected that then it seemed all their long standing plans would be in jeopardy. They had prepared for too long, laid too much groundwork, sacrificed too much to be set when the Promised Day came. The culmination of hundreds of years of scheming and manipulating an entire nation was drawing ever too close for an accident of fate to foul it up or even worse a deliberate act of sabotage. Could that be Von Hohenheim standing in for Father down there? The thought hadn't even occurred to Wrath until then. He was similar enough to Father to fool the slow witted Gluttony and easily distracted Envy, especially after going three rounds with the Elrics prior. Could Father's alter ego, the basis for his form upon this mortal plane have found a way to drag Father back from whence he came and substitute himself in his place in order to confound and defeat his children? It was an unsettling proposition but hardly likely. If Hohenheim had been able to do that his alchemy would be at a level of unparalleled proportions against with all of their powers combined would be insufficient to challenge him. Also Hohenheim purging his virtues? That simply would go completely against everything Hohenheim believed. While the former slave was wrought with sorrow his virtue was the one possession he prized above all else, the stains upon it being the basis for much of his sorrow. The last thing Hohenheim would want to do was to remove that he so desperately wished he could restore. Nothing seemed to add up to Wrath. For the moment he had a country to run and an agenda to advance; he hadn't the time to investigate further. That would fall into the realm of Pride, who literally could be in multiple places at once. He was the greatest of the homunculi in the art of deception and infiltration; by Pride's own account he was the greatest of the homunculi period. If anyone could pierce the shadows veiling the truth surrounding their father it would be Pride. Wrath parted company with Pride who apparently had no physical location within the shadows and returned to his home as Fuhrer Bradley, back to his family and the second life he led.


	15. Chapter 15: In Hiding

Chapter XV: In Hiding

Boram, Han and Lando had sought refuge at the backwater planet of Hssil'lta after escaping the Imperial blockade around the Sith holy world. The Empire was already out scouring the space lanes for a ship matching their description so it was unlikely that they would soon be meeting back with their buyer. They had to lay low, unnoticed for a time and allow the Empire to get distracted by bigger things, like the rebellion that was gaining strength thanks in part to the reemergence of the Jedi in exile following Vader's disappearance. This was a sweltering, dank world covered by shallow seas and swampland. The homogeny of this planet was a direct result of its topography. There were no deep ocean trenches or towering peaks on this world; the difference between its tallest "mountain" and lowest point on the ocean floor was only a couple dozen feet. The climate was foul too, covered in a steaming blanket of greenhouse gases, namely water vapor and basted by the light of a blazing blue sun with two pale red companion stars the tropical regions of this world were unbearable for human life. Half of the temperate regions were insanely uncomfortable as well. Only in the polar regions, which still felt like a swampy warm summer's day did any human influence thrive. The native sentient species, amphibious semi-humanoid cyclopoid creatures were minor members of the Republic before it fell and since had been left an autonomous territory by the Empire as the Empire had little need for a sweltering dung hole out on the fringes of its territory. They were quite welcoming of smugglers, adventurers and treasure hunters. They weren't the types to go tipping off the authorities if anything shady was going on in their midst. If they had an issue or a personal score to settle with someone their own code of honor demanded that they resolve it themselves. In fact it was considered a crime to demand another outside of one's own familial clan deal out judgement on one's behalf. The Hssil'lta natives in that regard were very tribal and clan based and therefore had no true planetary government. Their representation in the Galactic Senate during the Old Republic days was a bit of a tricky thing and could spark tribal warfare if the selection wasn't handled properly. Usually representation was never chosen from prominent tribes or those embroiled in conflicts and rivalries. Small, irrelevant, inconsequential tribes were seen as the best voices to the interstellar community. Much of Hssil'lta technology was organic including their starships, given the likelihood of most metals and sensitive electronics to corrode rapidly in the moist, sometimes caustic environment of the planet's surface. So what familiar mechanically engineered structures that existed there were the work of the humans who dealt in trade, travel and commerce in the polar regions.

It was in one such structure, a spaceport and commons area in the northern polar region which the Calrissians and company were hiding. There wasn't much of a crowd here today, which was usual. This spaceport was typically very sparsely populated and at times could be completely deserted save for a few local handymen and porters. There wasn't much in the way of anything to do here either. There was a food hut serving mysterious objects for consumption and a street vendor selling cheaply made trinkets. Occasionally there would be a guy wandering around trying to recruit crew members for this mission or that. The lodging facilities were little more than refrigerated boxes with a bed. The was no entertainment, no culture, not even a bar to visit and this is where the three treasure hunters and the enigmatic being from beyond would be spending the next several weeks at best at.

While Lando remained back at the Eagle securing the ship for long term storage The Homunculus, Han and Boram strolled the grounds outside of the spaceport. Immediately once they left the climate controlled area of the spaceport and stepped out onto the rickety mish-mash of wooden and steel walkways over the festering dank viscous swamps a glaze of sweat began to seep out of Han and Boram's skin, first from the head and the face then a few minutes later even their arms, legs, backs and chests began to sweat. If the heat wasn't enough there was always the stench, foul drafts that rose up from bursting bubbles of swamp gas reeked like rotten eggs and sulfur. If the stench wasn't enough there was always the isolation and absolute emptiness of this so called community. Han lived a fast paced life, to slow down and sit around like a bump on a log in this horrid bog would drive him insane. That was exactly what he had to do though, and do so for several weeks at that.

"I think I'm going to go crazy if we've got to hang out around here for more than just a few minutes." Han complained.

"Oh quit your bellyaching! If we don't want to be here because of how boring and nasty it is what makes you think the Empire's going to want to come down here either." Boram replied.

"Perhaps I could do something to make our stay here more amenable." offered the Homunculus.

Boram and Han both looked over at the creature wondering what he might have in mind. With only a stoic expression upon its face to return their curiosity the Homunculus walked to the edge of the platform and climbed down onto a narrow service catwalk below. The catwalk stood maybe a foot or more above the thick watery sludge of the swamp below. It was used by inspectors and maintenance droids to inspect and make repairs to the stilts supporting the platforms as well as to service or operate on various pieces of machinery stored beneath them. Han left Boram and walked over to the edge of the platform and looked down at the Homunculus who was examining the sludge grumbling and bubbling beneath his feet. His unchanging expression looked to Han as if he could not smell the revolting stench rising up from the water; he only stood there for a moment or two without the slightest emotion or inflection showing through. It was as if he could see something they couldn't; as if he could perceive reality on a different level, that what the Homunculus was seeing was more than simply an oozing festering bog. The Homunculus could perceive the structure of matter in ways which his vast alchemical knowledge had imparted upon him. He could see both the malleable and the unchangeable aspects of the materials which comprised the bog, right down to the molecular level. He went through his mind and evaluated what he could do with the materials available and then adjusted the equation to account for the different fundamental laws which governed this universe. For the years and years he had remained upon the forgotten Sith holy world he had learned much about the Force and had adapted his alchemy to its mechanisms. He had already started to use the force to achieve transmutations when all he knew was its dark side. That world, shrouded in darkness had prevented him from truly understanding the Force in its entirety. Now that he was away from that world he had learned, albeit indirectly of the energies of the light. The Light side, the Living Force that permeated throughout this reality binding its inhabitants together in some great cosmic web proved to be even greater than the darkness. The Light also seemed more attuned to his own nature, calm, composed and clairvoyant rather than the tumultuous raw passion of the Dark Side which would have been more in line with his children. As this thought crossed his mind he reflected upon his children, the lesser homunculi and wondered how they were getting by without him. Pride was certainly capable of filling the void left by his absence and should be trusted to see that the plan would have been followed through to completion. Wrath had the overt strength and the control of the powerful nation behind him to see to that plan's proper execution. Envy would be most apt to dealing with whatever mischief the Elric brothers would mistakenly find themselves meddling in if they strayed too far off the path prepared for them. Gluttony and Sloth, well they served their purpose too. The Homunculus could reassure himself that his children would have the throne of knowledge and power waiting for him upon his return; only he could not yet reassure himself that his return could in fact be made.

In the present time however the Homunculus was facing far more petty obstacles. With the knowledge he gained by pondering the depths of the Light he began to further evolve his abilities. By now he was capable of tapping into this alien yet familiar aspect of the Force in a raw untrained fashion. Now to Han it simply looked as if he was admiring the majesty of nature. How majestic nature really was in this place was debatable; it was more revolting than anything from Han's perspective. The swamp around the platform between the steaming bubbles bursting in the viscous brown water was covered by a clumpy layer of greenish yellow peat moss that had congealed in places where the flows were impeded by structures built into the swamp. In places the viscous oily brown swamp water was barely a few inches deep and revealed long mounds like sandbars of silt, muck and clay when the bubbles around them burst and spread the water temporarily away from them. In fact this side of the spaceport had a wide ring of such silt embankments around a deep murky pit whose depths appeared to be without end, granted the opaqueness of the water made but a foot appear to be endless. Spiny frogs and turtles lazily plopped themselves upon the muddy sandbars while long beaked birds skimmed the surface of the water to dine on slender fish and aquatic insects that lived within the muck. Speaking of insects the air was also buzzing with flies and mosquitoes as big as ravens, many of which Han had to bat away from his face when he came too close to the edge of the platform. For some reason the bugs seemed to avoid the Homunculus; his scent, his blood must have been unappealing to them, or perhaps it was something else.

Unconcerned with the affairs of the lower life forms in the swamp, among those he included the sentient residents of the spaceport, the Homunculus began to do his work. The Homunculus stooped down and inserted his hand into the thick sludge bubbling and flowing beneath the walkway upon which they were standing. The bubbling and sloshing of the water now became ordered out of its randomness and began to swirl around the spot where the Homunculus had inserted his hand. The peat moss was sucked in by the water and congealed into one giant ball which then began to heat up, glow hotter but not burst into flame until it evaporated into a cloud of pure glowing reddish orange energy. The water around it too along with much of the silt, rocks and metallic debris from the deep bottom of the lake were drawn up into the air above the Homunculus, rising ever higher above Han, Boram and the other spectators that had been stunned by this sudden instance of what could only be described as magic. The materials all formed into the glowing sphere of energy shining like a sun which the Homunculus then moved over an open area of walkways and shallow water a short distance away from the main building. Some of the spaceport staff panicked and started to evacuate the facility as wood and metal pieces from the platforms and old abandoned structures that had once been a more primitive version of the spaceport standing today were ripped up and consumed by this brilliantly radiant sphere.

inside the _Centurion Eagle_ the spaceport staff came to retrieve Lando and frantically warned him that the spaceport was in danger of being destroyed. Lando could have made preparations to launch but instead chose to first find his father and Han and joined the evacuation onto the outer platforms. He ran out with the crowd, a crowd he didn't even realized was present on this outpost based on how deserted it had appeared when he arrived. "I guess everyone had the idea to wait inside their ships here, same as he did." Lando thought to himself. The evacuation however proved to be unnecessary before Lando even could bother with going to locate Han and Boram. The blazing ball of energy had now begun to reform itself into a solid structure once again. The form produced out of such a seething chaotic mass was becoming more ordered than the heap of materials that went into its formation.

The Homunculus transmuted the murky brown swamp water, the foul musty swamp gas, the metal debris, rocks, dead animals and the scum covered wood planks comprising the boardwalk into something to keep the treasure hunters entertained. As if by magic these raw ingredients had decomposed into a highly energetic molecular soup and reformed themselves into a magnificent structure, a grand casino with all the bells and whistles to make it comparable to the finest such establishments in the galaxy. From the outside it was impressive to look at, five stories tall with a shimmering silver sheen coating the exterior of the superstructure. The glossy outer coat had been transmuted from minute traces of silver and iron within the peat moss and spread out to give the establishment a shining mirrored look.

Lando stopped and stared over at the sight which had all the evacuees gasping in astonishment as it took shape before their very eyes. Lando first shielded his eyes from light and then brushed his hand up his brown wiping off the sweat and grazing it over the top of his fuzzy close trimmed broccoli top afro before bringing both hands to his sides upon his waist.

"Well I'll be." Lando marveled, echoing much the same sentiment as Han did from across the boardwalk.

Han and Boram were both speechless at what had happened. This was very much in fact some kind of a miracle. How the Homunculus had done it they did not know; surely it must have been some kind of trick, something put here by the owners of the spaceport to wow particularly important guests they assumed. This was all possibly something that this creature had known about and initiated quite the performance for them to play witness to. There was a lot of fancy stuff one could do with technology and a lot of coincidences they had to accept but in their minds; especially Han's that explanation made the most sense. The skeptical treasure hunters were not willing to chalk this one up to magic just yet.

While the casino was being fashioned miraculously out of swamp water, wood, moss, steel and sludge acting as if they were reassembling themselves under their own accord the water level in the local slough beside the platforms dropped until the upper layers of silt and mud could be seen rising out of where the shallow points in the muck had been. Equivalent exchange still applied, the Homunculus could not transmute something from nothing. With the Force powering his transmutations he still had to provide the raw materials to produce anything. He was the only Philosopher's Stone in this world and not particularly a large one. In his own subtle way it angered him to be bound by the same rules feeble humans were bound to. It made him reflect upon his original form; frail, dependent and weak, relying on inferior termites to go about his bidding with the false sense that it was their own. Much the same he felt his condition was in this realm though his power remained truly tremendous when compared to those days when he was cooped up in that flask. He would get back to himself as he should be the Homunculus told himself. He would rise to godhood one way or the other whether in this world or his own. For now he had to do what he had to do back in Xerxes; manipulate the small minded humans into bringing him the power and the knowledge which he so longed for.

The Homunculus removed his hand from the water; not a drop remained on it once it was exposed to the air nor was a speck of dirt to be found upon his skin. The Homunculus stood up and blankly stared towards his new creation devoid of any sense of pride or accomplishment that one would assume would accompany a job well done.

"There." the Homunculus stated as he got up and appeared to let out a long breath. "I believe you will find these accommodations to your liking."

"Holy smokes! You bet they are!" Boram exclaimed after taking in the full majesty of the palatial structure.

"Hotel and casino huh? My kind of place. I assume it will be climate controlled inside?" Han asked.

"Why certainly and you will find it stocked with all of your favorite pastimes." the Homunculus answered graciously.

"Well I guess we'll be stuck on this slimy rock in style now." Han happily remarked. He still didn't want to be confined to this wretched de facto prison planet.

After the transmutation had concluded and the general sense of awe had died down Lando returned back to the ship. Someone had to keep tabs on the Eagle in case a thieving opportunistic mongrel tried to make good on stealing parts or the ship in its entirety. Han could take advantage of whatever crazy promotion the spaceport was trying to pull, and by take advantage Lando meant be swindled by. Lando would try his hand at the gaming tables once the naive fools had already lost all their money thus swelling the pot for his cool hands to reap. Lando chased a small furry tailed fellow away from his pre-launch thruster assembly and re-entered the ship.

Outside Han and Boram stood with their hands on their hips quite pleased at the gift they had been given. While it wasn't the same rush as gallivanting throughout the galaxy they wouldn't be sweating it out in utter boredom and isolation in some primitive excuse for a spaceport. After the initial awestruck feeling had passed Han realized that they hadn't been given a casino resort, they had been given a building. To truly make the most out of their stay they would need people, the best entertainment could only go so far alone.

"Now I'd hate to sound all sour after seeing that stunt there but I've got one little question. This place well, it's great and all but who is going to run it? You know usually there's a lot of people at these things and over here all we have is a handful of inbred yokels, starway trash and their old banged up astro droids." Han asked the Homunculus.

Despite the ungrateful appearance of Han's question the Homunculus did not appear upset. Indeed he was not the least bit perturbed; wrath was an aspect he had effectively purged quite well. He looked over to Han as placid and calm as ever and delivered his answer.

"Unfortunately I cannot transmute life from the nonliving." the Homunculus replied.

With a little more thought he came up with an alternative solution to Han's concern. "However, bring me those droids we saw out by the trash compactor. With enough study of their anatomy and design I should be able to restore them to functionality. Once that is done they can be repurposed to work in the casino." the Homunculus said before climbing back onto the platform from the catwalk.

He walked past Boram and Han towards the central structure of the spaceport, now dwarfed by the grand resort. "Be advised it may take a little time." the Homunculus told them with his back turned as he walked away.

"And we'll have to recruit some girls from a passing starliner to work the floor too." Boram interjected before scrambling off to follow the Homunculus. "I sure as hell want some nicer eye candy around this joint than a bunch of rusty old droids; the staff has to look as good as the setting dont'cha think?" he continued.

"If you've seen half the folks coming off the starliners around here you'd stick with the droids." Han chuckled ambling briskly behind them without a care in the world.

Han scratched his head and wiped the sweat of his face with his shirt sleeve. "How do you suppose we'd go about paying live employees anyhow?" Han asked.

"Once more I believe I can be of some assistance in this regard." the Homunculus again offered.

He stopped and returned back to the catwalk which he had performed the original transmutation from. "I only ask that you would leave me in peace during the time we are here." the Homunculus told them.

"Sure thing buddy." Han replied somewhat anxious to see what the next trick their bizarre companion had in store for them.

This time he dug his hand down into the exposed silt where the sludge waters had receded and by separating out the miniscule fragments of gold within the dirt and fusing other lighter elements together to produce more gold the Homunculus caused stacks of golden coins to rise out of the dirt. Han and Boram were amazed at the sight once again. "A clever trick" Han presumed; the staff could have hidden those coins there in preparation for this whole grand opening celebration Han thought. It was a stretch to assume that he coincidentally stumbled down to this place at just the right time to witness this unveiling which had to have been planned out for months in advance but certainly it was more plausible than the alternative, magic.

The Homunculus also noticed something very strange; he could hear Han's skepticism in his thoughts. Mind reading was not alchemy, he did not believe it even to be possible but hear he was, listening to Han doubt him as if it was a distant conversation in a crowded room which he overheard.

"I assure you this is no trick. My transmutations are just as they appear; take everything you see at face value." the Homunculus rebuffed Han out loud.

Han was shocked, had his poker face failed him or did the Homunculus just now read his mind. Explanations were getting to be a bit convoluted in Han's mind; there were just too many coincidences all happening at once. While still reserved and inclined to take the skeptical approach he had to at least consider the possibility that the creature's "magic" was for real. If these miracles continued they would have to reconsider their opinions on the Force and their view of the so called value of the Jedi religion. Not that they had believed the Homunculus to be a Jedi although his stoic serene composure would appear to give him off as one. The Homunculus did not present himself to be a Jedi at any time nor had he ever cited anything from the Jedi code or spoken of the Force and of life in the way that the two treasure hunters presumed a Jedi Master would. He also had been found on a world sacred to the Sith, the last place a Jedi would be and with such control over his passions, almost as if he had none, the Homunculus certainly could not be a Sith. Nonetheless the curiosity was stoked in Han and Boram who would now be watching the Homunculus very closely.

This latest transmutation also marveled the Homunculus for it was his first time upon this plane that he was able to transmute beyond like elements. He had been unable to fuse or break apart atoms with his earlier transmutations and thus would have only been limited to producing gold coins out of actual gold. This time he had attained enough mastery over his power augmented by both sides of the Force that he could truly produce gold out of lead, or iron. The transmutation had drained him however and he felt as if he needed to sit down for a minute, which he did as he watched Han and Boram scoop up the coins. These types of transmutations would not be commonplace, thought the Homunculus. They required him to give a part of himself to perform and as such he felt the need to replenish himself, at least to the level which he was. That of course meant that someone off one of these passing starliners would have to mysteriously disappear. These disappearances would be limited however for he could not start drawing too much attention, well too much negative attention lest the supply of visitors to this facility start to dry up. He would select those that would not be missed, or even noticed; the destitute, the loners, vagabond wanderers and fugitives. The locals would probably be enthused about the improvements he made to the place and with the proper negotiation technique these easily manipulated cretins would be compliant in keeping hushed over whatever lost souls vanished during their stay.

He turned and marveled at his latest creation, more prideful over these small coins than the grand casino he had fashioned before. Pride, alas pride was something he never could fully be purged of for it was his strongest attribute. His stone face even managed to crack a smile when Han looked stunned by the treasure he had pulled from the stinky silt mound. In his universe the petty human State Alchemists were forbidden from transmuting gold or precious stones to serve as currency. Mere humans limited by the destructive potential of their avarice required such limitations; the Homunculus however wasn't bound by the same rules.

He hadn't given the slightest concern to the notion that what he had done today might eventually draw the attention of those seeking him out. He did not fear Palpatine or his Empire any more than he would fear an anthill and its queen. Even the greatest of humans was still just a human, a petty pathetic creature so beneath him it wasn't even worth the thought to be concerned over. He did understand however that his frail, foolish human companions would be troubled by such things and in order to quell their bothersome concerns so that he could be left in peace he resolved to deal with them immediately.

The Homunculus also generated a covering from the muddy sludge on the swamp floor to conceal the _Centurion Eagle_ by fashioning an unnatural mountain lined with dense materials capable of blocking most scans adjacent to the spaceport.

"If your Empire passes through here they'll be scanning for you from the sky. Best to keep your ship out of sight. If you move it into the bunker I have made for you they will not be able to detect you." the Homunculus informed Boram and Han.

"This guy is just chock full of surprises isn't Han ol' boy?" Boram remarked.

"Well that sure explains why the Empire wants to get their hands on him so badly." Han replied.

The two laughed about it while the Homunculus took his leave and then went back to the ship to move it into the more secure location prior to retrieving the droids for the Homunculus to reconstruct for amusement purposes.

In the coming weeks the treasure hunters passed the time in the resort that had been fashioned for them. They kept their ears open for any word on what was being said about them and the Homunculus across the space lanes. The news filtered in through the starship pilots that passed through the hub concerning the Empire's activities and the greater war for the soul of the galaxy. While they waited the Homunculus secluded himself in a private suite. He meditated and reflected on the energies of the Force which flowed freely through this place. By connecting to it he was able to in essence listen to the Force itself speaking in the subtlest of ways showing him the groundwork, the source code if you will of this universe. He bonded with the Force and learned from it. There was so much to be revealed to him now that the dark veil had been lifted. Though his knowledge would be expanded greatly over time there was only so much that he could learn on his own. To truly master the ways of the Force, both the Dark and the Light he would require a teacher, someone whose skill he could make his own and with that knowledge any master he attained he could surely surpass in time.

At the same time the Homunculus and his cohorts were listening in to what was going on outside in the galaxy at large the news of the small miracle performed by the Homunculus spread between travelers, vagabond space pirates and drifters. The stories became small talk on the loading docks and spaceport taverns throughout frequently traveled sectors and eventually these tales were brought to the ears of those who thought less fancifully of them. For the Jedi Hunter Selene had seen the creature which had he reputed to have performed the fantastical transmutation. These vague tales were likely exaggerations and lies but they were a lead nonetheless and the details that had been given matched too closely with her memories of that fateful day to be so easily brushed off as coincidence. There was cause enough for her to postpone tracking the Jedi and seek out a more urgent matter which had troubled the Emperor dearly. She now had a bearing on her main charge; soon she and her young apprentice Mara Jade would be paying a visit to see the source of this tall tale. The faintest whispers were where the great truths tend to hide and in this most insignificant and petty of rumors by an untrustworthy lot would she find one who had indeed touched the Truth of it all.


End file.
